Mayors to get powers to overrule local councils on planning
Mayors across 13 areas in England, including Manchester and Liverpool, will receive new powers to overrule local councils on major planning decisions.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Mayors across 13 English areas will gain new powers to overrule local councils.
- The policy targets housing proposals over 150 homes and commercial spaces over 15,000 sqm.
- The Labour government aims to tackle the housing crisis and build 1.5 million homes.
- Opposition parties criticize the move as stripping local communities of their voice.
Mayors across England are set to receive significant new authority allowing them to override local councils on specific planning decisions, adopting a model similar to the powers held by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
The regulatory changes will apply to major property proposals, specifically targeting housing developments with more than 150 homes, commercial spaces exceeding 15,000 square metres, or structures taller than 30 metres.
A total of 13 regional areas will be granted these intervention powers, including:
- Manchester
- Liverpool
- West of England
- West Midlands
- North East England
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- York and North Yorkshire
- Hull and East Yorkshire
- Greater Lincolnshire
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- East Midlands
- Tees Valley
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook described the new authority as an essential instrument for mayors to effectively deliver fresh housing developments and regional regeneration, maintaining that the government remains fully dedicated to its 2024 general election pledge of building 1.5 million homes in England by the end of the decade.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Examining the broader political context, granting regional leaders overriding authority over hyper-local planning committees represents an aggressive push by central government to bypass localized planning delays and bottlenecks. Critics and local governance advocates, however, argue that concentrating planning power in mayoral offices risks undermining grassroots democratic representation and community input.
"Challenge does need to be made to local decision-making and actually it cuts both ways"
Andy Burnham
The announcement immediately drew backlash from opposition politicians. Conservative shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly argued the government was stripping communities of their planning autonomy, while Liberal Democrat spokesperson Gideon Amos asserted that bypassing local councillors silences ordinary residents.
Source: BBC Politics
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