Council backs residents opposition to Mayor's powers (From This Is Local London)

Council backs residents opposition to Mayor's powers

7:43am Saturday 30th December 2006 in

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WANDSWORTH'S Conservatives have pledged to fight an increase in the London Mayor's powers on planning and housing which are proposed in a Bill going through Parliament.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) Bill proposes greater powers for the Mayor in key areas such as tackling climate change, health and culture and housing and planning.

MPs voted in favour of the bill at its second reading stage in the House of Commons. But Putney MP, Justine Greening and Wandsworth Council oppose the bill because of the power it would give the Mayor over strategic local planning decisions.

Ms Greening said: "How do you define strategic? If something like the Roehampton regeneration was to be affected it would be unacceptable for residents' views to be overridden.

"We will continue to challenge this legislation at the committee stage, but unless we've managed to change it by the third reading it will be difficult. We will battle it all the way."

The council has also promised to battle the legislation and is loathe to see planning decisions taken from its control by the Mayor.

A council spokesman said: "The Mayor, sitting in an office in central London, has no idea about the impact of planning decisions on local communities. We're best placed to make those decisions.

"If you centralise that power in the hands of one person it's antidemocratic and doesn't give the local community a chance to get involved."

But Battersea MP Martin Linton is supporting the Bill. He said: "This law would give the city back to an elected Londoner. It's right that local authorities should retain planning powers over local issues, but if they're making strategic decisions as well then you have different boroughs following piecemeal policies with no co-ordination between them."

The GLA Bill was published on November 28. The Government claims it gives London the leadership it needs to meet the challenges ahead.