Planning powers returned to three East London boroughs

Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Newham will resume planning functions in the area known as London Riverside from April 1.

They will resume planning functions from the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, in a change that will benefit local residents, businesses and the council, by strengthening local control over regeneration and maintaining the momentum of private sector investment.

The Corporation will, for the time being, retain planning powers in the Lower Lea Valley area covering the London Boroughs of Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

Decisions on the way forward in this area will be taken in due course.

Thames Gateway Minister Bob Neill said: "Putting local boroughs back in control of planning in the London Riverside area puts decision-making power back into democratically elected hands - marking a new era in the area and giving local people more influence to shape the place in which they live."

"This is part of our wider decentralisation of strategic oversight in the Thames Gateway. Planning powers are a perfect example of this: it is obvious that local politicians - accountable to local people - should be responsible for making local planning decisions."

Further information:
Department for Communities and Local Government