The G15 Residents’ Group has responded to the Government’s consultation on planning powers for mayors in England, supporting proposals to strengthen devolved decision-making while calling for residents to have a greater role in shaping housing and planning policy.
The response welcomes proposals to give mayors additional powers to support housing delivery, including greater involvement in planning applications and new mechanisms to fund infrastructure.
Highlighting the importance of resident involvement, the Group said:
“More fundamentally, we believe that strategic resident groups should be recognised as an essential part of devolved decision-making.”
The Group stresses that residents should be involved in shaping strategic planning decisions from the outset, rather than being consulted only after proposals have been developed. It calls for recognised resident groups to have a formal role in developing and reviewing strategic plans.
The response also highlights the Group’s work with Campbell Tickell, funded through the Government’s Social Housing Innovation Fund (SHIF), to develop a practical toolkit to support strategic resident involvement across England.