PM meets mayors in drive to get Britain building and take on blockers

Mayors from across England will meet with the Prime Minister today (4 June) as the government accelerates its drive to kickstart growth and deliver for working people.

Bringing together mayors of all political stripes, the meeting will focus on maximising the opportunities of devolution and the key issues that matter to local people, from building more homes and infrastructure, to taking control of local transport.

Where projects have stalled or been watered down, the government will back mayors to push them through - unlocking homes, infrastructure and jobs, particularly for younger generations.

This includes challenging Enfield Council's refusal to support a proposed New Town in an area with significant housing need, which is near to an under-used train station. The Prime Minister is clear that decisions on new towns will be taken in the national interest alone, because it will be the next generation that suffers from inaction.

He will also confirm action to deliver the public transport services that new homes rely on. This includes confirming that the government is in discussion with the Mayor of London to bring the local services from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage under Transport for London control. This could improve reliability and deliver easier connections across the network, including the proposed New Town at Crews Hill and Chase Park.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

For too long, Britain has been held back by a system that says no, delaying projects, blocking growth and leaving communities behind.

We're turning that on its head by backing our mayors to get Britain building again, with spades in the ground and more jobs across the country. There will always be the naysayers and the blockers, but we cannot afford to give into them - because it will be the next generation that suffers.

This government is backing mayors with the biggest devolution drive in a generation, putting real power in the hands of local leaders, because those with skin in the game know best what their communities need. That is the right thing to do for communities, and it's the right thing to do for growth.

Thanks to new devolved powers, mayors will be urged to go further and faster, with a clear message: where local leaders bring forward credible plans to drive growth, the government will back them and get projects built.

Today's discussions at the Mayoral Council come alongside a wider shift of power out of Westminster and into the hands of local leaders, including the first ever 'Right to Request' process - allowing mayors to propose new devolved powers to drive growth in their areas.

The Council will play a central role in driving this agenda by ensuring local leaders have the power, backing and certainty they need to deliver at scale, at pace, and for the long term.

It follows the 'devolution revolution' set out in the government's manifesto, where devolution now covers 67% of England. Mayors have been handed multi-year funding settlements, ending the 'begging bowl culture' and freeing up time and resource to focus on improving their communities.

Crucially, due to reforms the government has made through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, mayors now have real delivery powers - including the ability to intervene in major planning decisions, unlock stalled sites, and coordinate housing and infrastructure across their regions.

Supporting this drive, the Prime Minister will additionally confirm a package of major transport investments across England to improve journeys and drive growth.

Projects include a new mass transit system for West Yorkshire, expansion of the Birmingham Metro, and reopening the Cowley branch rail line between Oxford city centre and the new Science Park. As part of the Right to Request process, the government has also committed to devolving Transport and Works Act Order approvals so all Mayors can approve their own mass transit systems going forward.

The plans will deliver faster connections between city centres, homes, jobs and key sites - including stadiums - while unlocking investment and regeneration.

Progress to date includes:

• Over 342,000 homes delivered since the start of Parliament, with building activity rising
• £39 billion Affordable Homes Programme and £16bn National Housing Bank and £5bn National Housing Delivery Fund unlocking stalled sites
• Housebuilding starts up 15% as planning and delivery reforms take effect
• £725bn long-term infrastructure investment backing growth across the UK
• Major reforms to planning rules, investment in skills and planning capacity, and streamlined regulation helping get projects moving faster
• Setting up a Stadium Regeneration Accelerator, working with sporting bodies, clubs and leagues to unlock housing, jobs, apprenticeships, transport and community sports facilities across the country - including in Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, and London that have the potential to regenerate their surrounding areas.
• Commitment to fast-track at least 150 major planning decisions this Parliament - nearly triple the previous Parliament - and establish a new Mass Transit Taskforce to speed up delivery.

In addition:

• Environmental regulators are now meeting or exceeding key planning timeliness targets - giving developers greater certainty and helping infrastructure projects move faster. Provisional results show that in 2025/26, the Environment Agency responded to 98% of planning consultations on time (up from 88%), while Natural England handled 95% of major infrastructure applications within agreed timescales.
• The Environment Agency's Priority Tracked Service is also supporting 63 major projects, providing a single point of contact and end-to-end permitting support to help complex schemes progress more quickly while maintaining strong environmental standards.

To go further, the government is continuing to roll out the Lead Environmental Regulator model - replacing a merry-go round of overlapping bodies with a single coordinating regulator for major projects to cut duplication and speed up approvals.

Alongside this, the government is taking action on judicial review to make sure meritless challenges cannot be used to stall vital infrastructure.

These reforms will ensure that unmeritorious cases are dealt with quickly, while protecting the right to challenge where it is justified - striking the right balance between accountability and delivery.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said:

We have ambitious plans for our region and a Mass Transit network is a key part to unlocking our untapped potential which will boost growth and put more money in people's pockets.

With backing from the Government and more powers devolved to Mayors who know their areas best, we will transform West Yorkshire.

Building the Mass Transit system our region needs will benefit the economy, strengthen connections, and improve lives for generations to come.

This is on top of government action which is already showing delivery. In the Mayoral Council, the PM is expected to tell mayors that his government will always work with local leaders through the powers supplied by the landmark English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

The Sports Quarter is one of the most ambitious regeneration schemes in the country, and this government has backed it with investment in the infrastructure around it. We've already started work on the Eastside metro extension - the line that will connect the City Centre to the new Birmingham City stadium and unlock £3 billion of investment, tens of thousands of jobs and thousands of new homes.
We moved quickly when this opportunity came forward - supported by the Government. That's also why we're delivering it through our new mayoral development corporation - so we have the tools and the pace to get it done.