Key planning powers for London mayor Ken Livingstone

London mayor Ken Livingstone has been granted key planning powers as part of a wider package of reforms announced by the government last week.

Secretary of state for communities and local government, Ruth Kelly, laid out a host of new roles for the mayor and the Greater London Assembly, which included an effective power of veto on strategic planning issues.

Under the new plans, Livingstone gains the ability to direct changes to London Boroughs' local development plans, as well as personal discretion over the approval of planning applications of strategic importance.

In other changes, the mayor is to prepare the statutory London Housing Strategy and a Strategic Housing Investment Plan; this was formerly the responsibility of the London Housing Board.

However, Association of London Government chairman Merrick Cockell said he was "concerned about the principle of the mayor approving planning permissions over the heads of local communities and borough planning committees".

[Contract Journal, 19 July 2006, p. 4]