Calls to scrap office-to-homes conversions in England

39 companies have signed a petition to stop office-to-residential developments after research found 28,000 affordable homes were lost.

Shelter, the National housing federation, the Town and Country Planning Association, the G15 and the Royal Town Planning Institute are just some of the organisations who have signed the open letter. 

Campaigners are looking to abolish some permitted development rights (PDR), which grant automatic planning permission to building projects.

A major source of disagreement is that PDR developments are not required to make affordable housing contributions. New research from the Local Government Association (LGA) shows almost 28,000 affordable homes have been lost as a result, over the last 11 years.

What’s more, the research reveals since 2013 over 110,000 new homes have been created from old office buildings.

Against this backdrop, an amendment to remove a number of PDR allowances from the planning and infrastructure bill – the government’s planning changes designed to speed up housebuilding in this country – is being debated in parliament today (1^st September).

‘As councils and communities face the stark reality of limited and poor-quality housing supply, this amendment could be a game changer,’ Cllr Louise Gittins, chair of the LGA, said. ‘PDR allows developers to avoid contributing to affordable housing in the local area which has a real-world impact – a fifth of families in temporary accommodation could be permanently housed.’

On the subject of ‘poor-quality housing’, studies – including the government’s own research – show homes constructed through PDR are more likely to be smaller, darker, poorly ventilated and in unsuitable locations.

‘We hope that this amendment secures sufficient backing as the planning and infrastructure bill progresses…and will help councils to play their key role in delivering the high-quality houses that our country sorely needs,’ Cllr Gittins continued.

In similar vein, Baroness Thornhill, vice president of the LGA, added: ‘The impact of certain PDR rules has gone much further than was ever anticipated when they were first brought in, it is time they were scrapped.

‘Councils – and communities – are losing out significantly because developers are able to circumvent the democratic planning process.’

Photo by Shahabudin Ibragimov via UnSplash 

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