London boroughs have abandoned plans to bid to regain control of planning in the Olympic park fringes and Lower Lea Valley from the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

The councils had been expected to respond to a review on the five-year progress of the corporation by requesting that they reclaim their planning powers for the area as soon as possible. They had also been rumoured to be working out a deal to take over legacy planning for the Olympic park from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

However, Roger Taylor, leader of the Five Boroughs Unit, a joint body representing local councils, said individual authorities had asked for more time to thrash out their position.

“The boroughs have decided to put everything on hold to think about it a bit more,” Taylor said.

The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation currently determines planning applications for all large schemes in two main regeneration areas in the gateway region, including the area adjacent to the Olympic park. The ODA has planning power for the Olympic site until the 2012 games.

The consultation on the progress of the three Urban Development Corporations closes on 18 September.

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