Conservatives at the London Assembly have slammed mayor Ken Livingstone's plans to split planning in the capital into five regional blocks.

Tory assembly planning spokesman, Tony Arbour, said the proposal, which was part of the new London Plan, threatened to become the first steps towards the mayor seeking to create five super-boroughs in the capital. ‘The 32 boroughs are still the bedrock of local government in London and nothing should change that,' he added. Mayor Livingstone originally mooted the idea of cutting the number of councils in London two years ago, but was met with widespread opposition.