London Assembly members say the Mayor should set out the circumstances in which he’ll use his power to decide planning applications rather than allow local councils to decide if schemes can go ahead.
The call for greater clarity comes after Boris Johnson took over five schemes in the past year. He’d previously used his powers to call-in planning applications just five times in as many years.
Earlier this week AMs agreed a motion which claimed local democracy is being threatened by the frequent use of the call-in power and warned that local concerns about large scale developments are being ignored.
In some instances the Mayor took over applications after being requested to do so by developers.
Darren Johnson AM, who proposed the motion, said: “In his election manifestos in 2008 and 2012 Boris promised an end to City Hall diktats and a more cooperative approach to relations with London boroughs.
“The recent acceleration in the number and speed with which the Mayor is taking over planning decisions from boroughs totally undermines those pledges and puts developers and investors before local democracy.”
