Government ‘abandons plans to give Robert Jenrick more power over planning decisions’

Housing secretary also facing claims he met with another billionaire Tory donor while considering funding decision as treasury secretary in 2018

The government wanted to give Robert Jenrick more power over planning decisions before the controversy erupted over his relationship with a billionaire property developer, according to reports.

However, Boris Johnson has decided to put the proposals “on hold” rather than unveil them in a major speech about rebuilding Britain in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, The Daily Telegraph claimed.

The prime minister was also expected to include the changes in a white paper on planning later this year, the newspaper said.

According to the Telegraph, the housing secretary would set up a system of development corporations with the power to take planning decisions usually made by local councils.

These corporations would also be able to buy land with public money, grant planning permission and then sell the land to developers at a profit.

However Downing Street described the claims as “not our policy”, and said there was no link between the current controversy and the decision to put the plans on hold. When contacted by The Independent, No10 said it had nothing to add.

Mr Jenrick is under mounting pressure to explain his apparent closeness to Tory donor Richmond Desmond in the weeks leading up to his decision to approve a £1bn development in Westferry, east London.

The housing secretary is also facing claims he met another billionaire while considering a decision that would have a financial impact on their business.

The Guardian reported that the then-exchequer secretary to the Treasury met Israeli businessman Idan Ofer, the ultimate owner of the UK mining company Cleveland Potash, on 21 March 2018.

At that time, Mr Jenrick was assessing whether to offer state support for a new potash mine being built by a rival company, Sirius Minerals, it is claimed.

A spokesperson for Mr Jenrick said: “He recused himself from decisions on the Sirius Minerals project. He disclosed his ministerial interests on appointment in the usual way.

“The meeting that took place on 21 March 2018 with Mr Ofer was to discuss electric vehicles and charge point technology and was attended by a [Treasury] official.”