A consultation about how new planning powers for elected mayors will work is set to be published next week.

They are due to include the ability to take control of local planning decisions and approve large-scale developments – effectively calling in decisions and directing councils to approve or refuse them.

Elected mayors will also be able to give upfront permission so developers can start building without having to apply.

The changes are set to apply to proposals with more than 150 homes, more than 15,000 square metres of commercial space or buildings over 30 metres.

Mayors in 13 devolved areas with combined authorities – including Manchester, Liverpool, the West of England and the West Midlands – will gain the new powers.

Other areas include North East England, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, East Midlands, and Tees Valley.

The government has stressed that local councils will continue to decide most planning applications and that all decisions must still follow planning rules.

However, the new powers do not necessarily mean that all eligible schemes will receive approval. Mayors will also have the power to stop proposals too.

Mayors will also get a bigger say on how national housing funding from Homes England will be spent in their areas, in addition to being able to charge a levy on development to fund large infrastructure.

Any moves to make the planning system more efficient and remove barriers to appropriate, well-designed development are to be welcomed although we will wait to see the detail in the consultation paper and how these reforms might work in practice.