Burnham expected to give mayors new powers over local planning decisions

Mayors Set to Gain Sweeping Authority Over Major Development Projects

Wanderstayfinder.com – The UK government is preparing to hand regional mayors unprecedented control over some of the country’s largest construction projects, a shift that would fundamentally alter how planning decisions are made across England’s major urban areas. The proposals, scheduled for formal presentation next week, would allow mayors to override local council decisions on developments exceeding defined size thresholds and to issue pre-emptive permissions that let builders break ground without ever filing a formal application.

The move comes at a moment when the government’s housing programme is running well behind schedule. Of the 1.5 million homes targeted for completion across England within a five-year window, just over a quarter have been delivered. Ministers have framed the new powers as a necessary intervention to accelerate stalled projects, though critics argue the measure concentrates authority in ways that undermine local democratic accountability.

Scope of the New Powers

Under the proposed framework, mayors would be empowered to “call in” planning decisions made by local authorities and direct those councils either to proceed with a scheme or to reject it outright. The authority would extend to residential developments of more than 150 dwellings, commercial spaces exceeding 15,000 square metres, and any structure reaching 30 metres in height — roughly equivalent to a ten-storey building.

Beyond the override mechanism, mayors would also be able to grant upfront permission, effectively pre-approving a project so that developers can commence construction without navigating the conventional application process. In addition, the proposals would give mayors greater influence over how national housing funding administered by Homes England is allocated within their regions, alongside the ability to impose a development levy earmarked for large-scale infrastructure works.

Ministers have stressed that all decisions taken under the new regime must remain consistent with existing planning legislation, locally adopted spatial plans, and national policy guidance. A backstop power will be retained at ministerial level, allowing central government to intervene where a mayor’s direction is deemed to fall outside those parameters.

Burnham’s Rationale

Transport and housing minister Andy Burnham defended the approach in an interview with the Sunday Times, acknowledging that critics have raised legitimate concerns about the democratic implications of shifting decision-making upward from elected councillors and their constituents.

“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. 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.”

Burnham argued that the presence of a mayoral oversight role would change the tenor of discussions between councils and developers, encouraging collaborative problem-solving rather than adversarial standoffs.

“In my view, we will prompt a much more joined-up discussion about planning and local authorities. I think knowing the mayor has that role, councils will come to the mayor and say: ‘How can we work this thing out so that it is acceptable?'”

Political Backing and Precedent

Ten of the fourteen devolved mayors currently serving across England — drawn from multiple political parties — have signalled support for the measure. The proposal would bring their powers into alignment with those granted earlier this year to London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, whose authority over major developments was introduced as an emergency response to dozens of stalled sites in the capital. That intervention was explicitly aimed at unlocking thousands of additional affordable homes that had been trapped in prolonged planning disputes.

The breadth of cross-party mayoral support suggests the measure has found traction beyond the governing party’s base, though the question of whether regional executives should wield such concentrated planning authority remains contested among opposition voices and local government associations.

Opposition Response

The Liberal Democrats have mounted the sharpest public challenge to the proposals. Describing the plan as a “direct attack” on community voice, the party’s housing and planning spokesperson Gideon Amos framed the issue as one of democratic principle rather than technical efficiency.

“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.”

Amos went on to question the broader devolution strategy, arguing that piecemeal transfers of authority would fail to address the scale of the housing shortfall.

“Labour’s chaotic patchwork approach to devolution will simply not work to solve the housing crisis. Instead of silencing residents and handing mayors a blank cheque, the government should be empowering local councils with the resources to deliver genuinely affordable homes alongside the infrastructure to support them.”

What Happens Next

A formal consultation document is expected to be published alongside next week’s presentation, inviting written submissions from councils, developers, housing groups, and resident organisations. The outcome of that consultation will shape the final form of the legislation before it enters the parliamentary process. For local authorities already managing portfolios of large-scale schemes, the coming weeks will determine whether the balance of planning power in England tilts decisively toward regional executives — a structural change that, if enacted, would mark the most significant redistribution of development authority since the post-war planning system was established.