Greater London Authority Bill

I agree that local authorities should be in the driving seat when it comes to local regeneration schemes, but certain very large regeneration schemes could well have a significance that is felt more widely than in the borough. In circumstances in which the development’s significance is truly London-wide, or when a development is significant to more than one borough, I would be perfectly prepared to grant that the Mayor should have a power to intervene, in appropriate circumstances. However, I would not be happy with a definition that would make it possible for the Mayor to use the power in relation to developments that are not strategic or, given the size criteria that are to be adopted, are not even very large. Let us consider some of the proposed size thresholds. One relates to developments by the river. Paragraph 1(a) of category 1C in the draft order says:"““the building is more than 25 metres high and is adjacent to the River Thames””." My constituency has a long Thames frontage, running all the way from Deptford to Thamesmead, and it has been subject to many developments. I cannot think of a single one in which a building of more than 25 m is not proposed, because of the strategic nature of the site, in the sense that it is on the river. I stress that ““strategic”” relates to the river; I do not mean that the site is ““strategic”” as far as London is concerned. The views across the river to Canary Wharf are such that it would be surprising if two or three-storey terraced, or semi-detached, properties were proposed. Almost invariably in such development proposals, there is at least one significant building that is taller than 25 m, but if the criteria as set out in the order were agreed, every single proposal would contain developments of that size. The developers would automatically put one in to ensure that the development met the criteria that allowed the Mayor to intervene, because the Mayor is known to be sympathetic to tall buildings, whereas not all boroughs are. I say to the Minister that the criteria are a perverse incentive that will result in particular development decisions being distorted by developers, who will seek to get their development into the size thresholds that allow the Mayor to call in the application. That is very bad policy making indeed.