GLA squares up for battle with government on housing investment powers

Livingstone had been welcomed back into the Labour Party fold earlier this year by Tony Blair, but the mayor’s office is set to test how far this welcome extends by pressing the ODPM over the powers it plans to devolve to elected regional assemblies.

The Greater London Authority this week argued that it was “frankly ridiculous” for the government to propose that an elected body in the North-east would have direct powers over housing investment and yet these same powers were denied to an elected body in the capital.

Speaking at a London branch meeting of the Chartered Institute of Housing on Tuesday, the mayor’s policy director Neale Coleman said: “We will fight the government on this as it is an important matter of principle.

“If there is any area where it is important to link housing, planning and transport then it is in London. The idea that it wouldn’t happen here but that the bill proposes it elsewhere is frankly ridiculous.”

Coleman added that the issue had been given fresh impetus by the recent move by the ODPM to place responsibility for the production of the regional housing strategy with the elected regional assembly.

This will see Livingstone chair the London Regional Housing Board and effectively mean he assumes control of housing policy in London. However, as things stand, decisions as to where housing investment goes in London will remain with ministers.

The fact that elections to the proposed North-east regional assembly take place in less than three weeks’ time on 4 November has also focused the mayor’s mind.

The GLA’s stance is understood to enjoy the unusual position of being supported by the 33 London councils via their trade body the Association of London Government.

An ODPM spokeswoman said: “English regions have different needs to London and that is why different powers are being put forward. There is no reason why the GLA should be automatically given extended housing powers.”

In his speech Coleman also outlined the mayor’s plans for the planned 30,000 homes to be built each year in the capital to meet a “certain higher standard” of energy and waste efficiency.

It is expected that the first review of Livingstone’s London Plan – due towards the end of next year – will include detailed guidelines as to what standards housing associations and housebuilders will have to meet.