Boris to run London HCA under Tory plans
The Homes and Communities Agency in London would be put under the control of the mayor, under Conservative proposals.
The agency’s London operation, which invests £1.1 billion a year, would be incorporated into the Greater London Authority under the control of mayor Boris Johnson.
At present the mayor has targets for delivering affordable housing across the capital, but does not have control of the HCA’s budget or day-to-day operations. The HCA is required to take account of the mayor’s policies.
The Conservatives say this arrangement restricts the mayor’s ability to make ‘joined up decisions about major infrastructure for which he is responsible’ including social housing, transport and economic development.
The party also said the ability of the London Assembly to scrutinise the delivery of housing is affected by the current system.
It states: ‘Our plans to give the mayor greater freedom on how he funds his priorities will mean he has greater flexibility to respond to the needs of Londoners and to improve further the key services for which he has responsibility, like the provision of new affordable housing.’
Under the Conservative plans the mayor would also gain new powers over the Port of London Authority, rail franchises, and the legacy of the 2012 Olympics.
For the Olympics, a mayoral development corporation would be created. This would be directly accountable to the mayor, and would have planning powers and control over public land on the Olympic sites.
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Readers' comments (8)
the purple avenger | 04/05/2010 11:34 am
Well, if you have an elected mayor its only right they should be given the powers needed to run the place. I wonder if the tories would have been suggesting this had the London Mayor been Labour or Lib Dem? At what about elected Mayors elsewhere? Will Hartlepool's Mayor (Hangus the monkey) be given similar powers?
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Melvin Bone | 04/05/2010 2:07 pm
'I wonder if the tories would have been suggesting this had the London Mayor been Labour or Lib Dem? '
Probably not but does it matter...at least they have a policy on it.
It makes sense to me, and little that goes on in London makes sense to me...
What do the (oh so flippin' many) Londoners think?
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alex kendall | 04/05/2010 6:13 pm
This seems so very close to the BNP Housing and regeneration policy of direct funting of local Goverment to provide housing. Something Inside Housing did not mention. So whos policy is at work.....Love Alex kendall
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Tim Hall | 04/05/2010 8:26 pm
Will the last one out please turn off the lights?
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Melvin Bone | 05/05/2010 8:23 am
'Tim Hall | Tue, 4 May 2010 20:26 GMT
Will the last one out please turn off the lights?'
The lights have already gone out 'cos Gordons not paid the bill...
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Julian Thompson | 05/05/2010 10:06 am
At last! It's called democracy; decisions being made by the elected mayor not the selected bureaucrats
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Steve | 05/05/2010 11:16 am
This just strikes me as a revival of the Tories 80 blame game policy. The mayor will be given the responsibility but ultimately no control over the budget when things get tough, which will be from day one if the Tories get in rather than a few months later if it's anyone else. The national HCA budget would be controlled by the nationally elected government, I would have thought? I can't see it adding any more democracy to the process. Apart perhaps from a bit of nimbyism.
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RonH | 05/05/2010 3:09 pm
I am not sure where the argument comes from that this is in some way more democratic. I do not recall anyone in London being asked to vote on a maoyorality with these powers. If such powers are to be given to someone, surely a new election would be required to give a democratic mandate, otherwise London just becomes a satrapy, with power being granted to the governments friends and favouirites.
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