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Government relaxes planning rules for converting unused commercial buildings into homes

Relaxed planning laws making it easier for developers to convert unused commercial buildings into housing in England have been tabled today.

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Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
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Relaxed planning laws making it easier for developers to convert unused commercial buildings into housing in England have been tabled today #UKhousing

The government said the deregulation will help deliver more housing while giving high streets a new lease of life, transforming dilapidated buildings and making the most of brownfield land.

It represents an expansion of permitted development rights (PDR), which allow certain schemes to go ahead without a full planning application.

Instead, developers must navigate the much simpler prior approval process, where councils are only able to consider a handful of matters including the scheme’s impact on flooding, potential loss of health centres or nurseries, and whether the homes will have adequate natural light.

Following widespread criticism of the quality of homes delivered through PDR, the government announced last September that new homes delivered using the loophole must meet national space standards.

Before today, PDR mainly applied to office blocks but will now include the majority of unused commercial buildings.


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Last summer, the government announced and quickly implemented a different significant expansion to the controversial policy, allowing new storeys to be added to existing blocks and for empty office buildings to be demolished and rebuilt without a planning application.

A consultation on expanding PDR further was released in December and met with concern from housing and council bodies.

The government’s response to the consultation has not yet been published, but today’s measures appear to water down the proposals, which did not specify they would only apply to unused buildings.

Amendments to the list of matters able to be considered by councils through the prior approvals process were also put forward – including the addition of a requirement to ensure fire safety.

But a government press release announcing the changes today made no mention of changes to the prior approvals.

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “We are creating the most small business-friendly planning system in the world to provide the flexibility needed for high streets to bounce back from the pandemic.

“By diversifying our town and city centres and encouraging the conversion of unused shops into cafes, restaurants or even new homes, we can help the high street to adapt and thrive for the future.”

Regulations effecting the changes will come into force on 21 April, with the first prior approval applications allowed to be submitted from 1 August.

Commercial buildings will need to have been vacant for three months before they can be converted to housing through PDR, while a size limit of 1,500 square metres will apply.

Other measures being introduced today include a new requirement for planning permission before demolishing statues, memorials or monuments.

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