Mayors Across England Set to Gain New Planning Powers
The new thresholds apply specifically to large projects, including developments featuring more than 150 homes, commercial spaces exceeding 15,000 square metres, or any building standing 30 metres or taller—roughly equivalent to 10 storeys. Ten of the 14 devolved mayors have backed the measure. The changes will bring regional leaders into alignment with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who received similar powers earlier this year as an emergency measure aimed at unblocking stalled sites to build more affordable housing in the capital.
Scope Across Regions and Funding Control
According to government announcements and regional details, the powers will extend to mayors across 13 areas, including Manchester, Liverpool, the West of England, the West Midlands, 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.
Alongside decision-making authorities, mayors will receive a larger say in how national housing funding from Homes England is distributed and utilized within their respective regions. Furthermore, they will be empowered to charge a levy on developments to fund major infrastructure projects. Housing minister Matthew Pennycook described the powers as an essential toolkit for delivering new homes and regeneration, noting that the government is currently just over a quarter of the way toward its target of building 1.5 million homes across England over a five-year period.
Safeguards, Criticisms, and Political Debate
To address concerns over local oversight, the government has emphasized that local councils will continue to handle the majority of planning applications. All mayoral decisions must remain in line with existing planning rules, established local plans, and national policy, while government ministers will retain a backstop power to intervene.
Supporters argue the mechanism will streamline development and prevent unacceptable local authority proposals. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told The Sunday Times that the process cuts both ways rather than merely countering local nimbyism. Sometimes… challenge does need to be made to local decision-making, and actually it cuts both ways. It’s not all about Nimbyism. Sometimes it’s the other way round,
Burnham said, adding that It’s a local authority putting forward something that’s unacceptable in terms of the impact on the community… so it’s a two-way street.
However, the plans have faced sharp political backlash. The Liberal Democrats slammed the initiative as a direct attack on local communities. Gideon Amos, the party’s housing and planning spokesperson, stated: Taking powers away from communities and local councillors is taking powers away from local people. This plan is a direct attack on communities across the country.
Conservative critics, including shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly, similarly questioned whether it is right for councils to lose their local decision-making capabilities while raising concerns about housing targets and potential discrimination against areas lacking an elected mayor. A formal consultation detailing how the framework will operate is scheduled to be published next week.
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