Brokenshire To Look Again At Office-To-Residential Conversions

The government will review the conversion of offices into homes without planning permission after a leading Conservative MP lambasted the policy for allowing ‘social cleansing’. Reforms to permitted development rights in 2013 have allowed developers to convert offices into residences without planning permission. Conservative MP for Harlow Robert Halfon told Parliament this week the policy had not worked. “It has allowed landlord to build ghettos. It’s allowed London councillors to socially cleanse their most vulnerable families to places like Harlow,” he said. Halfon urged the government to reform the permitted development rules, adding that Harlow had not received any extra resources “to deal with the extra burden” for providing more doctors, schools, social services and police. Read more on the Planning Portal website.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/news/article/627/planning_news_-_11_april_2019?utm_source=PPQ+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9ba17c5ef2-Newsletter_11042019_HTML&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_734e0b63a9-9ba17c5ef2-7266185#one

Campaign Calls For Office-To-Resi Halt Before 'Slums' Built

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has launched a campaign to stop developers converting offices into housing developments. The TCPA is calling on the government to reverse the policy of allowing office-to-resi conversions under permitted development rights, stating it leads to homes “in the wrong place and built to very low standards”. The Room to Breathe campaign will call on the government to introduce minimum housing standards across the whole of the UK as well as bring together individuals and organisations to oppose the permitted development rules. Read more on the News Locker website.

http://www.newslocker.com/en-uk/profession/construction/campaign-calls-for-office-to-resi-halt-before-slums-built/view/

10,000 Affordable Homes Potentially Lost Through Office Conversions

The Local Government Association says permitted development rules allowing offices to be converted into housing without planning permission are exacerbating the nation’s housing affordability crisis and should be scrapped. Latest figures show that since 2015, a total of 42,130 housing units in England have been converted from offices to flats without having to go through the planning system. As a result, they included no affordable housing or supporting investment in infrastructure such as roads, schools and health services. While this amounts to approximately 7 per cent of new homes nationally, in some parts of the country it represents a much higher proportion of all new housing. Read more on the LGA website.

https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/10000-affordable-homes-potentially-lost-through-office-conversions

Tory Housing Target Questioned

Property experts have warned that a fall in approvals for schemes converting office space to homes could leave Tory housing targets in disarray. So-called permitted development rights (PDR), which allow conversions to go ahead without planning permission, have been a main driver of growth in housing supply since being announced in 2013. Nearly 14,000 homes were delivered in England last year from PDR conversions, providing three-quarters of the growth in housing supply in 2016 to 190,000. The government’s target is to build 200,000 new homes annually and a million new homes by 2020. However experts believe the number of houses delivered by office-to-resi is likely to fall, due to dwindling viable office stock and hostility from some local authorities towards office conversions. Read more on 24housing.

40% Rise In Property Conversions To Meet Demand For Homes

Conversions of offices, retail shops, and agricultural properties into homes jumped 40% from 982 to 1,355 in England in the second quarter of 2015 compared to the same quarter a year ago, says EMW, a commercial law firm.  EMW explains that developers are using conversions to increase the amount of property on the market to address the current housing shortage, as growth in mortgage lending boosts the already strong demand for homes. August saw an increase of £3.4bn in mortgage lending, up from £8.8bn to £12.2bn, which was the biggest monthly increase since spring 2008, before the full effects of the recession were felt. Read more on the EMW website.

Office-To-Residential Permitted Development To Be Made Permanent

Planning and housing minister Brandon Lewis has announced that the temporary office-to-residential permitted development (PD) right, that was due to lapse at the end of May 2016, will be made permanent. The minister said that, in addition, the new permanent right would allow office buildings to be pulled down and replaced with new residential buildings. He also confirmed that those who already have permission to convert offices to homes under the temporary PD right will have three years in which to complete the change of use. In addition, new permitted development rights will enable the change of use of light industrial buildings and launderettes to new homes. Read more on the Planning Portal.

Councils Warn Office To Residential Conversions Harming Town Centres

The widespread conversion of offices to homes under Government changes to planning rules are harming London's town centres, creating substandard housing and undermining jobs and growth, councils have warned. The Coalition introduced permitted development rights in May 2013 to allow empty and underused office space to be converted into housing without the need for planning permission. London Councils, which represents the capital's 33 local authorities, believes permitted development rights have created a "free-for-all" which has undermined the viability of town centres by draining away commercial property. At the same time, they have removed councils' ability to demand that schemes include affordable housing for local people. Between May 2013 and April 2015, London boroughs received at least 2,639 office-to-residential prior approval applications. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Councils Seeks Clarification on ‘Office-To-Residential’

Permitted development rights (often referred to as ‘office-to-residential’) were introduced in May 2013 to fast-track the conversion of offices to homes, but can result in sub-standard housing and undermine new jobs and economic growth – according to London Councils, which represents the city’s 33 local authorities. The rights, which allow developers to bypass existing planning regulations, are due to expire in May 2016. However, the government has indicated they might be extended and that current exemptions – including Canary Wharf and east London’s Tech City – may be removed. Cllr Claire Kober, London Councils’ Executive member for infrastructure and regeneration, said: “The negative impact of permitted development rights in London is stark and we urge central government to clarify its position on making these rights permanent and removing existing exemptions for central London and many town centres.” Read more on the Housingnet website.

There’s A Bold Solution to the Housing Crisis

The government has outlined plans for 200,000 new starter homes to be constructed. But history tells us that this number is highly unlikely to be reached. So how can we help bridge this gap between demand and supply? One solution is to be far bolder in converting unused office space into living accommodation. Two years ago, hopes were raised that up to 40,000 flats would be created in London and the South East as a result of a three-year temporary introduction of permitted development rights (PDR) – a relaxation of the planning rules so that empty office blocks could be more quickly converted into living accommodation.  However, PDR has had a mixed reception. Eleven London councils were granted exemptions from the rights by the government, after maintaining PDR would threaten their boroughs’ vitality. Read more on the City AM website.

Councils Approve 900 Office-To-Resi Schemes in Three Months

Councils approved nearly half of the applications made in the last quarter to turn redundant office buildings into new homes, new figures reveal. Statistics released by the CLG show that of the 1,900 applications received by local authorities in the last quarter, 900 were approved. Last year, the government relaxed planning rules to allow office space to become homes without planning permission. Read more on Inside Housing.

Boost for Council’s Office-To-Flats Challenge

Islington Council is optimistic that a compromise can be reached with the government on halting unrestricted office-to-flats conversion in the borough, after the Secretary of State admitted that the CLG got its numbers wrong in blocking the council's attempt to do so.  Islington became the first council to make an Article 4 direction to remove government-given rights for developers to convert offices to homes without planning permission. The then Planning Minister Nick Boles MP quashed the Article 4 arguing that Islington failed to deliver its housing targets over the period 2009 - 2013. In fact, Islington exceeded its overall housing target by 43% over this period. The CLG has now accepted that it made 'a mistake of fact' by failing to take into account all the types of housing that the London Plan housing targets do. The CLG has agreed to rescind its decision to quash Islington's Article 4 direction in the next few weeks.  Read more on the Islington Council website.

London Borough 'Taking Legal Advice' Over Office-To-Resi Exemption Rejection

A London council is taking legal advice, after the government refused to allow it to ban developers from converting offices to residential without planning permission. Islington Council had applied for an exemption, known as an article 4 direction, which would have removed developer’s permitted development rights for office-to-residential conversions. But the borough is now consulting lawyers, after its application was refused by Nick Boles, then planning minister, last month. A spokesperson said it was unhappy with the decision, and would review its options after hearing from lawyers. Islington led an unsuccessful legal challenge to the planning reform in the High Court last December. Read more on Inside Housing.

'Offices to Homes' Trend Creating Commercial Property Shortage

The number of offices being sold with development rights for conversion into homes is leading to a shortage of commercial property, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has warned. The trend is most apparent in London and the south but nationwide availability of commercial property is declining at an alarming rate. RICS says the lack of stock is pushing investors away from prime location and into ‘B’ grade commercial investments. In its latest survey of chartered surveyors, RICS reports that 49% of respondents said 'office to homes' activity was having a ‘moderate’ impact on the commercial market, while almost one in five said it was having a ‘substantial’ impact. Read more on the RICS website.

Developers Must Seek Permission to Turn Offices into Homes

Councillors in Brighton have agreed changes to the planning rules that will require developers to seek permission if they want to change their office space to residential use. The policy and resources committee confirmed an article four direction, which means that developers must obtain planning permission to change the use of their offices to residential space in several areas of Brighton.  The council made the decision following a temporary change in planning law introduced by the Government in May 2013 that removed the need to obtain planning permission for change of use from office space to residential. The council and its leading partners in economic development of the city fear that this could affect the city’s business growth. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

First Office-To-Residential Private Rental Development

Essential Living has been given planning permission for the UK's first office-to-residential private rental development. The developer received the green light for its redevelopment of the 14-storey Berkshire House office block in Maidenhead, Berkshire by a 10 to one majority by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The 1960s tower will be transformed with an external design of a stainless steel mesh-like frame, wrapped around a glass and steel building in an egg-shaped expression. Read more on 24dash.

Office to Residential Scheme Comes Under Fire at High Court

The government’s refusal to exempt councils from its relaxation of office to residential planning reforms was branded ‘unfair and unlawful’ at the High Court. The London boroughs of Islington, Richmond and Camden argued the changes to planning rules could threaten swathes of their areas with economic meltdown. They said converting occupied offices to homes could force small businesses to move to peripheral areas. The councils sought exemptions from the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, rule changes and his refusal has triggered a High Court show-down. Read more on Inside Housing.

High Court Challenge Against 'Offices to Flats' Powers

A cross-party group of councils is challenging the government’s decision to allow developers free rein to convert offices into flats. Four London boroughs are bringing a joint action against the revised General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) which the government introduced back in May. According to the councils, under the order local residents and councils are powerless to object to, prevent, or impose conditions on certain types of development including the conversion of any office building into housing. With no need for planning permission, residents' rights to be notified in advance and to raise any objection have been swept away. The councils say they have lost the ability to protect office space, and they are not able to demand that the new homes are affordable or even meet basic space standards. Read more on 24dash.

Prefab Homes May 'Solve' City’s Housing Crisis

A return to the post-Second World War boom in prefabricated homes could help Bristol solve its worsening housing crisis.  More than 14,000 people are on its waiting list for homes in the city. But only 60 affordable homes are to be built this year. A report to go before Bristol City Council suggests prefabs could provide affordable homes on small brownfield sites quickly and cheaply.

Bristol mayor George Ferguson said the city has to be "flexible" about fulfilling its housing needs. The report will also recommend converting some of the city's empty office blocks into flats.  Read more on the Bristol Post website.

Legal Challenge to New Offices-To-Flats Rules

Lambeth Council has launched a legal challenge against government legislation allowing offices to be turned into flats.  Under new government legislation a builder only has to submit a prior approval notice and provided no objections are received work can go ahead.  Judicial review papers request Brixton and Streatham town centres be exempt from the rules over fears it will harm trade and job prospects.  The government said it would "vigorously defend" any legal action.  Read more on the BBC website.

Office to Homes Reforms 'Must Be Less Ambiguous'

Change of use reforms need to be made clearer to prevent councils delaying their use, says a real estate advisory firm.  The changes, which came into force in May, allow developers to convert office space into homes without local authority consent.  But Nick Belsten, director of planning at firm CBRE, warned applications could still be hamstrung by obstructive council because of the ‘complex and time limited’ reforms.  He said local authorities might refuse applications to push the developer into going through the appeal process. Read more on Inside Housing.