Mayors across England are to be granted 'call-in' powers, allowing them to intervene in major planning decisions within their areas. Under proposals expected to be published next week, a mayor will be able to take over key planning applications impacting local growth and instruct a council to either proceed with or refuse the development.
This initiative, supported by ten mayors from various parties, aims to align powers for mayors outside London with those already held by the Mayor of London. National thresholds for these powers will be established for the first time, covering schemes with more than 150 homes, over 15,000 square metres of commercial space, or any building exceeding 30 metres in height.
Mayors will also gain the ability to grant upfront permission for development, potentially allowing construction to commence without a separate application process. Additionally, they will have a more significant role in determining how national housing funding is spent locally, with Homes England's funding and expertise to be directed towards priorities agreed upon by local mayors.
A £1.3 billion portion of the national fund for land and infrastructure has already been allocated to the seven most established mayoral areas. An additional £234 million in brownfield funding has been committed to seven Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), alongside £1.5 billion for devolution through the Housing Accelerator Fund. Mayors outside London will also be permitted to impose a development levy to finance major infrastructure projects.