London mayor Ken Livingstone is set to triumph in a long-running struggle with the ODPM and win control of the capital鈥檚 拢1.1bn annual housing budget if Labour is re-elected.

The move emerged after Labour pledged in its manifesto to 鈥渞eview the powers of the London mayor and the Greater London Authority鈥�.

A spokesman for the ODPM said: 鈥淭he power over housing investment will be included in the terms of the review of the GLA鈥檚 powers, although the precise terms have yet to be decided.鈥�

The move represents a significant softening of the ODPM鈥檚 previously steadfast refusal to allow Livingstone greater housing powers beyond producing the capital鈥檚 regional housing strategy later this year.

The concession comes after the capital鈥檚 Commission on Local Governance called for responsibility for housing investment to be passed from the Government Office for London to the GLA (HT 24 March, page 13).

A GLA spokesman said: 鈥淲e would welcome the government bringing housing strategy and investment within the mayor鈥檚 powers. This would give greater coherence to policy-making and delivery of housing.鈥�

Tony Newman, chairman of the Association of London Government鈥檚 housing committee, said: 鈥淭here has been a major, significant, utterly untenable democratic deficit in London over the last few years. Anything that happens to change this is very welcome.

鈥淚f the GLA gets the investment power, there will be a much greater degree of accountability.鈥�

Source

Housing Today