London mayor wins fight to boost housing role

by Nick Loney, Regeneration & Renewal 03-Jun-05, 13:24

London mayor Ken Livingstone has won his battle to gain strategic responsibility for the capital's housing.

As predicted in Regeneration & Renewal, the Government has transferred responsibility for preparing London's housing strategy to the Greater London Authority. Until now the Government Office for London has had overall responsibility for housing in the capital.

The decision means Livingstone will have strategic responsibility for housing and planning, allowing him to match budgets with targets for new homes.

Last year the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister consulted on whether the mayor should take responsibility for housing strategy and in April deputy prime minister John Prescott told Regeneration & Renewal that Livingstone would win greater powers if Labour was re-elected. Prescott noted that in all regions outside the capital, planning, housing and transport strategies are brought together. "Ken's saying he wants that in London, and I think he's got a point," he said (R&R, 22 April, p1).

Livingstone welcomed the transfer of responsibilities. "They will enable me to put in place new arrangements to ensure the capital's housing strategy is better coordinated with planning, transport and economic development," he said.