More
than 18,000 affordable houses have been lost as a result of
office-to-residential conversions under permitted development, the Local
Government Association warns.
A total of 73,575 new houses have been converted from
offices under permitted development rights, where full planning permission is
not required, since 2015.
The
LGA, which represents 350 councils in England and Wales, said that permitted
development rights should be removed to ensure all conversions and new
developments contribute to the delivery of desperately needed affordable homes
across the country.
It
also says that developments that go through the planning system are subject to
more stringent quality assurance, subsequently improving the overall quality of
housing on offer, a key priority in the Levelling Up White Paper.
Cllr
David Renard, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils
will continue to play a key role in helping the nation to level up and recover
from the pandemic, and that includes meeting our joint ambition with government
to tackle the housing shortage and build the homes we desperately need.
“There is a need for more affordable housing across the country but
regrettably premises such as offices, agricultural buildings, shops,
restaurants and light industry can now be converted into houses without the
need to provide any affordable homes.
“This is why we would like to see the permitted development rights
removed. Giving planning powers back to councils will also support local
ambitions to revive and reimagine high streets and town centres. The upcoming
Queen’s Speech should also give councils further powers to bring vacant
properties back into use.
“A local, plan-led system is crucial in delivering on levelling up ambitions
to ensure councils can deliver the right types of homes in the right places
with appropriate infrastructure, ensuring a mix of high-quality affordable
housing that meets the needs of local communities, while also giving those
communities the opportunity to shape and define the area they live in.”
