Andy Burnham has said ongoing talks with Whitehall about the devolution of ‘London-style’ powers over housing development grant to Greater Manchester have been positive.

Burnham, in an exclusive interview with Housing Today’s sister publication Building last week, said that negotiations with central government have progressed over the past few weeks despite this summer’s political turmoil.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA and West Midlands Combined Authority) were named last year as ‘trailblazers’, becoming the first two authorities to discuss devolution deals under the government’s levelling up agenda.