English Mayors Granted New Authority to Override Local Council Planning Decisions

Mayors across England are set to receive expanded authority to override local council decisions on major planning applications.

The new powers will apply to significant development proposals, including those involving more than 150 homes, over 15,000 square metres of commercial space, or buildings exceeding 30 metres in height.

Mayors in 13 key regions — including Manchester, Liverpool, the West of England, and the West Midlands — will gain similar intervention capabilities to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who currently holds “call-in” powers for strategic development projects.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook described the expanded authority as an “essential part of the toolkit that mayors need to effectively deliver new homes and regeneration,” emphasizing the government’s commitment to addressing the housing shortage.

The Conservative Party has raised concerns about removing local councils’ ability to make planning decisions within their own communities, questioning whether centralised oversight might undermine local democracy.

The powers will extend beyond the initial 13 areas to include mayors in the Combined Authorities covering North East England, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, East Midlands, and Tees Valley.

Despite declining housebuilding rates in London, Pennycook maintained that the “call-in” mechanism had successfully unblocked strategic growth sites throughout the capital, supporting the case for broader implementation.

During the 2024 general election, the Labour government pledged to construct 1.5 million homes across England by the decade’s end, though industry warnings suggest this target may prove challenging to achieve.

Pennycook affirmed the government’s determination to meet its housing ambitions, acknowledging the scale of the target while highlighting the urgent need—citing nearly 180,000 children living in temporary accommodation—as justification for ambitious action.

Beyond gaining call-in authority, mayors will also be empowered to grant “up-front permission,” enabling construction to commence without developers needing to submit separate applications, streamlining the delivery process.

A government consultation outlining how these new powers will function is scheduled for publication next week, with officials stressing that local councils will retain responsibility for most planning applications and that all decisions must remain compliant with existing regulations.

The government further announced enhanced fiscal autonomy for mayors, directing Homes England to align national funding programs with locally prioritised housing initiatives.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a former mayor of Greater Manchester, has been a vocal advocate for devolving additional powers to regional mayors, recently pledging to distribute income tax revenues more broadly across mayoral jurisdictions as part of his broader “bring power home” agenda.

“Challenge does need to be made to local decision-making—and it cuts both ways,” Burnham told the Sunday Times, noting instances where local authorities have advanced proposals with negative community impacts.

He added that effective governance requires mutual accountability between national leadership and local representatives, ensuring balanced oversight in major development decisions.

In a recent speech, Burnham outlined plans to second high-performing civil servants to mayoral offices, aiming to strengthen capacity and expertise at the regional level—an initiative that has drawn mixed reactions from political colleagues and opposition parties concerned about potential disparities for areas lacking elected mayors.

Source link