Every few years, planning reform lands on our desks with the promise of big change. Most of the time, it’s about tweaking the system we already know. But the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill feels different. It isn’t just a technical update, it’s about handing real power to Strategic Authorities and Mayors, and re-wiring how decisions about growth, housing and infrastructure are made.
For planners, that means both opportunity and challenge.
A shift in where decisions get made
Under the Bill, Mayors gain powers we’ve only seen in London until now; the ability to call in major applications, create Development Corporations, issue Mayoral Development Orders and levy a Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy. In practice, this shifts the centre of gravity away from individual councils and towards regional leaders with the ability to set the tone for investment and delivery.
For developers and their advisers, that opens faster and more strategic routes for unlocking projects. But it also means navigating a new layer of decision-making, where the relationships you build with Mayors and Strategic Authorities will be just as important as those with local planning teams.
Strategic visions, not just local plans
The Bill also introduces Spatial Development Strategies. These high-level frameworks will guide housing, infrastructure and regeneration priorities across multiple districts. For private planners, this changes the rules of engagement.
Local Plans still matter, but they will increasingly sit within a bigger picture. Aligning with the regional vision will be critical, both in how we shape projects and how we make the case for them.
This is where placemaking comes to the fore. The Bill is ultimately about more than allocating site, it’s about how devolved powers can help shape vibrant, resilient and inclusive places. For consultants, it’s a chance to show how individual projects contribute to making better places, not just delivering floorspace or meeting housing numbers.
Beyond land use: planning’s wider canvas
What makes this reform stand out is its breadth. Planning is being tied more explicitly to transport powers, skills funding and public health. This broadening out reflects a simple truth: planning isn’t just about where things get built, it’s about how places function.
For the public sector, that’s a resourcing challenge. For private practice, it’s a reminder to think creatively. Imagine employment space that align with devolved training programmes, or housing projects that clearly demonstrate health and wellbeing benefits. These wider connections will not just strengthen planning applications; they’ll make developments more resilient and attractive to investors too.
The complexity test
None of this comes without challenges and delays caused by change, certainly in the short term. New governance models mean more variation in how decisions are made. Communities will have stronger rights to protect and acquire Assets of Community Value (such as pubs, playing fields, village halls, libraries or even small music venues). For developers, that creates another layer to consider, whereby projects will increasingly be tested against whether they respect and enhance the social fabric of a place, not just its economic potential.
In addition, reforms to lease structures and rent reviews will change the commercial assumptions that underpin development viability. The system will only work if it’s supported by proper resourcing, digital innovation and transparency.
Managing the transition
It’s worth nothing that this is not an overnight change. Decision on which areas will adopt devolution deals are expected before Christmas. Those places will then move into a shadow authority period, typically lasting a year, to ‘iron out’ conflicts and processes before taking the reins in full. For private planners, this means a period of uncertainty, but also opportunity. Early engagement during this shadow phase could be crucial in shaping how new Strategic Authorities approach their powers, and in ensuring that development pipelines are aligned with emerging priorities.
An invitation, not just a reform
Step back, and the message is clear, the Bill is about putting planning at the heart of devolution. It’s not just about managing development, it’s about shaping the way regions grow, deliver services, and support communities.
For public sector planners, it’s a huge adjustment. For private planners, it’s both a challenge and an invitation, a challenge to navigate more complex governance, and an invitation to play a bigger role in connecting projects to the ambitions of whole regions.
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill may not change everything overnight. But it signals a future where planning is more strategic, more political and more ambitious. The question for those of us in private practice is whether we’re ready to step into that bigger role.
