DAVID CAMERON warned councils yesterday that Whitehall will seize decision-making powers if they do not publish housing plans in two years’ time.

The Tory government said it’s making a “crystal clear” threat to almost 20 per cent of councils who have not yet devised plans.

Around 82 per cent have published plans but only 65 per cent have actually adopted them, it added.

North London’s Haringey Council has already announced changes such as ending life-long tenancies and limiting family members’ rights of succession for new council tenants.

Defend Council Housing (DCH) Haringey branch secretary Paul Burnham blasted “hypocritical” Mr Cameron for not cracking down on developers making huge profits from luxury apartments on land where truly affordable housing could be built instead.

The government recently removed developers’ responsibility to include social housing units in their buildings in order to qualify for council permission.

Mr Burnham added: “This is just hypocrisy. DCH opposes all these Tory policies and we need to stand up against it and fight to get developer interest back into democratic control.”

The new Housing Bill is to include the voluntary extension of right to buy to 1.3 million housing association (HA) tenants and plans for 200,000 unaffordable “starter homes” in place of any social housing.

The government announced on Friday the “pay to stay” scheme to raise social rents to market levels if households earn a combined salary (before tax and deductions) of £40,000 in London and £30,000 in the rest of England from April 2017.