Mayors given powers to green light developments

Mayors across England are to be given ‘call in’ powers to take the most important planning decisions in their areas.

Under proposals to be published next week, a mayor will now be able to take over key planning applications which impact on local growth, and direct a council to take it forward or refuse it.

The move has been backed by ten mayors from different parties and will bring mayors across the country in line with powers the Mayor of London already has.

The national thresholds are being set outside of London for the first time: schemes with more than 150 homes, more than 15,000 square metres of commercial space, or any building over 30 metres or taller, roughly ten storeys will be in scope.

Mayors will also be able to grant up front permission for development, so that building can begin without a developer having to apply.

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Councils will continue to decide the majority of applications, and many are already getting homes built at scale. Over the last three years, Salford has delivered 7,584 homes against a requirement of 4,249. Leeds has delivered 11,690 homes against a requirement of 10,151, and Knowsley has delivered 1,888 – well over double the requirement of 772 homes.

Every decision must follow the planning rules, the local plan, and national policy. Applicants keep the right of appeal, and ministers retain a backstop power to intervene themselves.

Mayors will also have a bigger say over how national housing funding is spent in their areas. Homes England will still lead on the biggest projects, but its funding and expertise will be focused on the priorities agreed by local mayors.

A £1.3bn portion of the national fund for land and infrastructure has already been allocated to the seven most established mayoral areas, with an additional £234 million of brownfield funding to seven MSAs, and £1.5 billion committed for devolution through the Housing Accelerator Fund.

Mayors outside London will also be able to charge a levy on development to fund major infrastructure, using the same tool that helped deliver the Elizabeth line, which has boosted rail capacity, supported housing growth and regeneration, and become the UK’s busiest railway service.