Greater London Authority Bill

I shall be happy to take further interventions, but first would like to set out the Government’s proposals on these matters. The Government have responded to the representations that have been made and, given the growing consensus between London councils, London First and the Mayor about how the powers should operate, have decided to make further amendments to the process. In particular, we now agree that it would be better for matters to be referred to the Mayor at a later stage. The boroughs would therefore have the initial lead on major developments too, with the Mayor able to intervene only on major strategic applications that go to the heart of the London plan. In the secondary legislation to which I referred a moment ago, we will set thresholds as well as the policy test. We do not think that the Mayor should take over applications at the beginning of the process, as proposed in the arrangement that we initially set out for consultation. We agree with London First, London councils and the Mayor that it would be better for boroughs to make their decisions on an application before the Mayor decides whether the policy test is met and whether he wants to intervene. We believe that that will provide a better parallel to the Mayor’s current powers and give the boroughs the clear central role in dealing with a planning application and its impact on a local area. In addition, the approach that I have set out would limit the Mayor’s intervention to those cases where strategic issues are at stake. We also believe that, when a decision is taken about using the mayoral powers, account should be taken of the boroughs’ wider ability to deliver against the London plan and of their record in doing so.