Elected Mayors are to be placed “front and centre” of Labour’s plans to build 1.5 million homes within five years.

The Government says it plans to give the UK’s 25 regional mayors “strong new powers” to ensure they have a greater say over where and how many homes are built.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, announced a new ‘English Devolution White Paper’ passing more control to local areas and away from Westminster.

Housing plans

And as part of the blueprint for a new landscape for local government, elected Mayors and larger local authorities will be required to produce ‘Spatial Development Strategies’, which set out housing plans in each area.

“Mayors will also be given new development management powers, similar to those exercised by the Mayor of London. This will include the ability to call in planning applications of strategic importance,” the white paper explains.

They [Mayors] are best placed to serve their residents.”

Rayner says: “They [Mayors] are best placed to serve their residents – using their powers and regional vantage point to bring in good, well-paying jobs, to build affordable homes and to link up our communities with high quality public transport.

She says it is “a permanent shift of power away from Whitehall and into the hands of those who know their communities best”.

Last week, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook told rebel local authorities the Government would take control of Local Plans in their areas if necessary

And Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “But are we going to push it through if those plans don’t work? Yes, we absolutely are.

“Are we going to push away the planning rules and make them clearer, as we have done today, get away the blockers that are stopping the houses being built? Yes, we are absolutely intent.”

Read the white paper in full here