Exclusive:Metro mayors to be given compulsory purchase order powers by Sir Keir Starmer

The comments got cheers from the reception, which included all three Yorkshire metro mayors, Tracy Brabin, Oliver Coppard and David Skaith.

Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves believe they can drive growth by devolving more powers to local leaders, and it has been one of the key focuses of the new government.

While Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has committed to publishing a new devolution framework, which will set out the new powers across housing, planning, transport, skills, and employment support.

Despite Mr Rotheram’s comments, no official announcement has been made - yet multiple sources told this paper that one was likely soon.

One said: “That’s the direction things are heading.”

CPOs allow local authorities to buy land off people for large infrastructure projects.

They were used controversially with the northern leg of HS2, which was then cancelled despite family homes being bought off people in advance 

Currently, councils have to get permission from the Secretary of State for a CPO.

It’s unclear whether with their new powers the mayors and combined authorities would still need to seek approval from the government.

Henri Murison, the chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “Alongside local councils, the government agency Homes England, who are currently working particularly hard to accelerate housing delivery in Sheffield, have these powers already.

“As Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham in the Liverpool City Region is delivering a spatial development strategy that could very well bring forward the need for these powers we can see the case. 

“It follows that when Metro Mayors have significant formalised regeneration agendas this should rightly follow.”

Local leaders certainly believe that this will boost growth and allow greater control over big infrastructure projects across the North.

In Leeds and Bradford, Ms Brabin is spearheading the proposed tram system, which could bring significant regeneration.

Earlier in the year, the city council announced the Leeds Transformational Regeneration Partnership to upgrade the city centre and five outer neighbourhoods.

The news about CPO powers comes as Sir Keir has made planning the key focus of the Labour Party conference.

The Prime Minister’s main announcement so far has been “planning passports” to increase housing density in big cities, with Sir Keir citing Leeds as one of his target areas.

It would make the default answer to planning applications as yes, if the housing was being built on a brownfield site in an area earmarked by councillors for development.

The Prime Minister said: “Working alongside our mayors and local leaders, the new planning passports will put rocket boosters under housebuilding. 

“They mean that where development proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer will be yes, not no. 

“Because I mean what I said before the election: Labour are the party of aspiration, security and growth. 

“We don’t shy away from tough decisions. We are the builders, not the blockers.”

The National Federation of Builders has said that housing approvals have been hit by councils allocating fewer sites for development.

“We have seen many small and medium sized housebuilders (SMEs) exit the industry, not just because councils were allocating fewer sites, but due to the Government adding new taxes and ignoring the business impacts of poorly crafted regulations, such as Biodiversity Net Gain,” Rico Wojtulewicz, from the NFB, commented.

While Mark Jackson, spokesperson for Scarborough Group International, commented: “The Government’s proposed ‘Brownfield Passport’ is to be welcomed, as is any genuine move toward simplifying the planning system, especially in urban environments. We look forward to seeing more details as the consultation unfolds.”

He added: “Unlocking publicly-owned land for development could be a game-changer, giving local authorities greater control over projects while boosting public funds.

“The Government should also consider promoting the development of affordable housing by local authorities and public agencies.”