PLanning
New Mayoral Powers: The Industry Reacts
Mayors across England will be given new planning powers to overrule local councils similar to that of Sadiq Khan, with changes applying to proposals with more than 150 homes, more than 15,000 square metres of commercial space or buildings over 30 metres.
Mayors in areas such as Manchester, Liverpool, the North East of England and the West Midlands will be given powers to green light developments within certain parameters, although councils will still have final say over the majority of cases.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, has welcomed the government’ s announcement, she said:
“ As our region continues to take on more powers and funding as part of the devolution revolution, this announcement is another exciting step forward. Having more influence over how national housing funding is spent will help us get new homes built where they’ re needed most- together with the transport and services that local communities deserve.
“ More control over how we tackle the housing crisis in our region can turbo-charge the work we are already doing together, including with Homes England. This is great news for people across the West of England who are waiting for social housing and saving to get onto the property ladder. Like our local councils, we will be looking closely at the detailed proposals.
“ Call-in powers have been used in the capital by the Mayor of the London for many years, and it’ s right that our region is fast catching up. Mindful of this responsibility, my approach, now and in the future, remains the same: carefully considering all planning applications at the appropriate stage, looking at all the evidence.”
However, other reactions pointed to the fact that although the new mayoral powers may help to speed up development in certain situations, they do not change the underlying reality that for a number of reasons housebuilding has largely stalled, and in fact install an additional level of bureaucracy to the decision-making process.
Tom Arnold, policy manager at CIH, said:“ The proposed planning powers for mayors announced today could have a significant impact on how decisions about the development of new homes are made.
“ The government has announced its intention to rewire the state, giving more power to regional and local leaders over decisions that affect the communities they represent. Planning has a major role to play in achieving this vision, and these new powers – if used properly – could help deliver more homes and infrastructure to meet local needs.
“ The government will need to support mayoral strategic authorities to build capacity if these new powers are to be used effectively. Local
88 Issue 28