Mayor David Skaith looks set to receive powers to overrule North Yorkshire Council on major planning decisions.

Currently Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council and Labour-controlled City of York Council are the planning authorities in the county.

But Prime Minister Andy Burnham is to give mayors in 13 areas, including York and North Yorkshire, the ability to ‘call in’ planning decisions on applications to build more than 150 homes, or develop more than 15,000 square metres of commercial space or buildings over 30 metres.

It means York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which Labour mayor Mr Skaith chairs, will get more powers at the expense of local authorities.

Multiple national media outlets reported today (August 23) that a consultation on the move will be announced this week.

It has already led to criticism that the move will disempower councils and put more power in the hands of mayors and their combined authorities.

Mr Burnham told the Sunday Times he understood those concerns but added “challenge does need to be made to local decision-making” and the move “will prompt a much more joined-up discussion about planning and local authorities”.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook described the call in power as an "essential part of the toolkit that mayors need to effectively deliver new homes and regeneration".

Mayors will also gain the power to grant ‘up-front permission’ to allow construction to begin without a developer having to apply.

Housing targets

Labour’s 2024 election manifesto pledged to build 1.5 million homes in England by the end of the decade and Pennycook said the government was "absolutely determined to stick with that ambition".

Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrats’ housing and planning spokesperson, said:

“Taking powers away from communities and local councillors is taking powers away from local people. This plan is a direct attack on communities across the country.

“Labour’s chaotic patchwork approach to devolution will simply not work to solve the housing crisis.”

The Lib Dems’ election manifesto pledged to build 1.9 million homes — 400,000 more than Labour’s.

The new powers, which are similar to those already available to London mayor Sadiq Khan, will be available to mayors in the combined authorities in York and North Yorkshire, North East England, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, East Midlands, and Tees Valley.