Mayors are to be given powers to overrule local councils on planning decisions as part of a change aimed at supporting the delivery of new homes.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the measure was “essential” to help mayors “effectively deliver new homes”. The change would give mayors a stronger role in planning decisions where local councils would otherwise have authority.
The proposal places housing delivery at the centre of the government’s argument for altering planning powers. By enabling mayors to intervene in council-level decisions, ministers are signalling that local planning processes will be expected to support wider housing objectives.
The change is significant because planning decisions often determine whether new housing developments can proceed. Giving mayors the ability to overrule councils would alter the balance of decision-making between local authorities and mayoral offices.
No further detail was provided in the supplied material on when the powers will take effect, which mayoral areas will be covered, or what safeguards or limits may apply. The latest stated position is that ministers view the change as necessary to help mayors deliver new homes more effectively.
