Manchester wants 'call in' powers

Regeneration & Renewal, 18 May 2007

The Government is already considering proposals for an "executive board" made up of the leaders of the ten councils to take strategic decision for the whole city-region. And the councils, which form the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (Agma), are now set to seek to take over so-called "call-in" powers currently exercised by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

It would mean planning appeals on major projects would be heard and decided by the Agma executive, rather than communities secretary Ruth Kelly.

Tom Russell, chief of urban regeneration company New East Manchester, and deputy chief executive at Manchester City Council, told Regeneration & Renewal's annual conference he wanted to see this function moved to Agma "over a period of time".

Agma's current proposed Manchester governance structure does not include the proposal, but does envisage the setting up of a housing and planning board to make strategic policy. Russell said a planning control function could ultimately sit within this unit.

However he conceded the idea could not be implemented in the short term because it would require primary legislation in Westminster to take the planning power away from central government.

If accepted by the DCLG, the move would be similar to powers that are in the process of being granted to mayor Ken Livingstone's Greater London Authority.