Mayors to gain planning call-in powers

Mayors across England are to be given new powers to take control of major planning applications as the Government seeks to accelerate housing, commercial development and infrastructure delivery.

Under proposals announced by the Prime Minister’s Office and due to be published in detail at the end of August 2026, mayors will be able to “call in” strategically important applications that would otherwise be determined by local councils, bringing their powers more closely into line with those already available to the Mayor of London.

The Government has also set national thresholds for the new powers outside London for the first time.  Developments comprising more than 150 homes or 15,000 sq m of commercial space will fall within their scope, along with schemes involving buildings of more than 30 metres in height.

Once an application has been called in, a mayor will be able to take over the planning decision and determine whether the development should proceed or be refused. Ten mayors from different political parties have backed the proposals.

The Government said the powers are intended to give mayors greater control over projects that have a significant impact on economic growth across their wider city regions.

Councils will continue to determine the majority of planning applications, while decisions taken by mayors will remain subject to planning legislation, Local Plans and national planning policy. Applicants will also retain existing rights of appeal, with ministers maintaining powers to intervene.

The move represents a further shift towards strategic planning and decision-making at mayoral level as the Government seeks to increase development and housing delivery.

It follows the introduction of the revised National Planning Policy Framework, which strengthened the presumption in favour of development in sustainable locations and introduced greater support for housing density around well-connected public transport hubs.

Alongside the call-in arrangements, mayors will be given powers to grant upfront permission for development, potentially allowing projects to proceed without developers subsequently having to make an individual planning application.

The Government has yet to publish the detailed rules governing how those permissions and the new call-in arrangements will operate.

Mayors are also set to gain greater influence over the allocation of national housing investment in their areas.  Homes England will continue to lead major projects, but its funding and expertise will increasingly be directed towards priorities agreed with local mayors.

The Government has already allocated £1.3 billion from its national land and infrastructure fund to seven established mayoral areas, alongside £234 million of brownfield funding and £1.5 billion committed to devolution through the Housing Accelerator Fund.

Another potentially significant change will allow mayors outside London to levy charges on development to finance major infrastructure.  The approach follows the model used in London to help fund infrastructure including the Elizabeth line, linking contributions from new development with investment in transport capacity and regeneration.

The Government argues that giving mayors control over both strategic planning decisions and infrastructure investment will allow development and transport requirements to be considered across wider economic areas rather than individual council boundaries.

The reforms add another layer to the Government's wider programme of planning changes aimed at increasing housing supply and accelerating development across England.