Localism Bill to shift powers to Mayor and London boroughs, says Pickles

The Localism Bill will see a significant devolution of powers from Whitehall to the Mayor of London and London boroughs, the Communities Secretary has promised.

The reforms will hand the Mayor and local authorities control of the capital’s housing, regeneration, economic development and Olympic legacy, Eric Pickles said.

The Communities Secretary also revealed that London boroughs would be given control over more of the major planning decisions affecting their communities, with the Mayor only considering the largest planning applications in future.

Other key proposals – some of which have already been announced – include:

• Devolution of executive powers over housing investment from the Homes and Communities Agency to the Greater London Authority, aligning it with the Mayor’s funding and the London Housing strategy
• Abolition of the London Development Agency. Its city-wide roles on regeneration and management of European funding will be transferred to the GLA so that the Mayor is directly accountable
• New powers for the Mayor to create Mayoral Development Corporations to focus regeneration “where it is needed most”, such as to help secure East London's Olympic legacy, in partnership with local authorities
• A streamlining consultation on Mayoral strategies, so there is a single environmental strategy.
• The London Assembly will also gain a new power to reject the Mayor's final strategies by a two-thirds majority.

According to the Department for Communities and Local Government, ministers believe that there are various unelected bodies taking decisions over London and that this leads to confusion and duplication between City Hall, the Government Office for London, the Homes and communities Agency, the London Development Agency and the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

Eric Pickles said: “London is a global powerhouse, with global reach – and yet it can't make local decisions on local issues. We will streamline the way London is run so Londoners have a stronger voice with decisions taken by Mayor, Borough leaders and neighbourhoods based on local priorities in the capital.”

He added: "London is a democracy not a quangocracy and the Mayor has a clear electoral mandate from London voters so he should be at the head of the table.

"Instead of quango-itis stifling the pace of London's progress its elected leaders will decide what housing and regeneration investment to make or what London's Olympic legacy should be, all in a more open and transparent way than ever before."

Ed Archer