Mayoral planning call-ins – time for action for local people

• Community engagement is a crucial part of the planning system and local authorities and developers have a statutory obligation to engage with stakeholders during the process. The recently published London Plan 2021 sets out how early and inclusive engagement should take place within the planning process. Concerns around the lack of transparency in the call-in process have been highlighted by a number of community groups who lack confidence in the process.
• 40 applications have been determined by the Mayor of London since 2008, and all except two have been approved by the relevant Mayor, which raises concerns the call-in process having predetermined outcomes in favour of the applicant.
• There is a mismatch between how community groups feel about the opportunities they have to influence the call-in process, and what opportunities the Greater London Authority (GLA) feels groups have already. Community groups feel locked out of the process and the Mayor’s sphere of influence.

The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee has published a report ‘Open Planning? Community engagement and transparency when the Mayor calls in planning applications’ following its investigation into the Mayoral planning call-in process.

The report makes a number of recommendations to the Mayor of London to help improve and increase community involvement in the planning process, including:

• The Mayor should conduct a review of the call-in process to pinpoint increased opportunities for community engagement and information sharing. For example, case officers sometimes meet with residents on an ad hoc basis to discuss views and concerns and this arrangement should be made face to face and mandatory. Reasoned amendments put forward by residents and community groups should be meaningfully considered.
• The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills should conduct site visits without the presence of the applicant or their representatives – just the GLA and borough representatives should be present.
• Allowing substantial amendments to called-in applications should be reviewed. Substantial amendments should require a new planning application unless amendments can be strongly justified.
• Gentrification impact assessments should be explored, which look at the impacts on existing communities, including socio-economic and cultural effects on different communities.
• Plain English versions of key planning documents should be published alongside originals to make content more accessible for all Londoners.

Andrew Boff AM, Chair of the London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee, said:

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Planning and Regeneration Committee has time and time again stressed the importance of community involvement in the Mayoral planning call-in process and more transparency and opportunities for views from local people at the very outset.

“Community involvement leads to better quality developments that reflect London’s diverse communities. Local people need to shape where they live. It is not simply a box-ticking exercise as involvement and engagement needs to run through every process and at every phase.

“Opportunities for local people to speak up need to be given and the Mayor needs to level the playing field. Residents simply do not have the time, money and resources, like the major developers and simple things like plain English documents, more proactive communication and face-to-face meetings can go a long way in improving the process. The Mayor needs to get onto this urgently because local people and community groups deserve more.”