Later today, an English devolution white paper will be launched with proposals that will give new powers for mayors across strategic planning.

This will give them “the ability” to guide infrastructure and development projects across several areas including housing.

In a speech accompanying the launch of this paper, deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner is expected to say: “When our proud towns and cities are once again given the powers they need to drive growth and raise living standards as part of our Plan for Change.

“It’s a plan for putting more money in people’s pockets, putting politics back in the service of working people and a plan for stability, investment and reform, not chaos, austerity and decline, that will deliver a decade of national renewal.”

This latest announcement comes after the government has adopted an increasingly interventionist approach with regards to planning reform and housing delivery.

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Last week, the government introduced plans that would allow it to bypass local planning committees “entirely”.

According to the government, bypassing local planning committees would tackle “chronic uncertainty, unacceptable delays and unnecessary waste of time and resources.”

With Rayner telling local councils to “get your plans in order” in a BBC interview, the government also unveiled its new NPPF last week. This included “immediate, mandatory” housing targets for local councils.

This included the promise that ministers would “not hesitate” to intervene if strict 12-week timelines for development plans were not put in place by local councils.

Following these developments, housing minister Matthew Pennycook was forced to defend these policies in commons with his shadow counterpart accusing the government of “bulldozing democratic accountability”.