Harrow Council has formally declared its opposition to what it describes as a planning power grab by the Mayor of London, raising concerns about potential impacts on local infrastructure funding and control over planning decisions. The motion, moved by Councillor Marilyn Ashton (Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Planning & Regeneration) and Councillor Christopher Baxter at a council meeting on Thursday, expresses concerns over proposed changes to planning regulations that the council says will hinder its ability to manage development within the borough.

The proposed changes include:

  • Cutting infrastructure funding from developers to councils
  • Extending the Mayor's call-in power for planning applications of 50 homes or more where the council wants to refuse (the threshold is currently 150 homes)
  • Giving the Mayor power to call-in green belt planning applications of 1000 sqm or more.

The council believes that the government's proposed cuts to infrastructure funding from developers will hinder the ability of local authorities to manage necessary upgrades for new developments, potentially leaving neighbourhoods unable to cope with the demands of new construction. They also voiced concerns that extending the Mayor's call-in powers for planning applications would take power away from local councils, adding bureaucracy to the development process. The current threshold for the Mayor of London to call in planning applications is 150 homes.

The council fears that the extension of the Mayor's call-in powers will mean taking more power from local councils as well as adding more bureaucracy to development. Additionally, giving the Mayor the power to call-in greenbelt planning applications means he can take over an application and determine it himself, and therefore overturn a council's refusal, putting precious green and open spaces at risk of development.

Specifically, the council is worried about the potential impact on Harrow's green belt. The motion states that giving the Mayor the power to call in green belt planning applications of 1000 sqm or more puts precious green and open spaces at risk of development. The council believes this could lead to the Mayor overturning the council's refusal of applications, endangering these spaces.

The council resolved to formally oppose the Mayor of London's power grab and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Harrow's green belt. The council also called on the Mayor of London to provide proper grant funding to allow the council to deliver more genuinely affordable housing at the Byron Quarter and Poet's Corner developments, implying that a lack of grant funding is preventing the delivery of more affordable housing at these sites.

The motion was part of a larger Council Meeting agenda that included discussions on the closure of the Pinner Police Station's front desk and the deportation of legally settled migrants, as well as updates to the council's constitution report - 27 November 2025.