This was a lords amendment on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The bill seeks to broaden English devolution by creating new regional authorities and extending mayoral powers over planning, housing, transport, police and fire services, with new rules for budgeting, governance and accountability. It has been through both Houses with extensive amendments about who can create or change authorities, how budgets are set, planning priorities (notably brownfield land), parish governance, and transparency requirements, with ongoing negotiations between the Lords and Commons.
•- Creates new forms of English regional governance (foundation authorities and mayoral combined authorities) and expands powers for these authorities across planning, housing, transport, health, licensing and policing/fire functions.
•- Governance safeguards: amendments consider whether councils must consent to new or changed authorities, how commissioners are appointed, and how budgets and local tax rules apply to these bodies.
•- Planning and development policy debates: proposals to prioritise brownfield land before greenfield, the introduction of an "agent of change" principle to protect existing neighbours/businesses, and changes to how development is approved (including mayoral development orders).
•- Local democracy and parish governance: measures to promote parish and town councils, allow unparished areas to form new councils, and require consultation with parishes in neighbourhood decisions, along with electoral reform considerations.
MPs voted to accept Lords amendments to the bill by 271 to 171, with one rebel MP voting against their party whip. The changes introduce an 'agent of change' to ensure new development fits with existing businesses, promote parish governance, prioritise brownfield land, and amend London's governance provisions, including removing a paragraph from Clause 110. The move advances planning and local governance provisions within bus services regulation.
Agent of change rule to align new development with existing businessesBrownfield land priority and parish governance provisions addedLondon governance provisions updated via GLA Act amendmentOne MP voted against their party whip
AI-generated context — may contain errors.
Turnout by party
68%
Ulster Unionist Party
1/1 (100%)
Green Party
5/5 (100%)
Traditional Unionist Voice
1/1 (100%)
Your Party
1/1 (100%)
Restore Britain
1/1 (100%)
Conservative
96/114 (84%)
Democratic Unionist Party
4/5 (80%)
Liberal Democrat
57/72 (79%)
What happens next?
The Lords amendment result is sent back to the other House for consideration.
Current stage: Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons
