Planning Minister Nick Boles has blocked a local
authority's attempt to prevent empty office space being turned into flats. And
Islington Council has raged that Boles' “ill-founded, eleventh-hour
intervention" which will mean that the borough will lose out on jobs and
affordable homes. Last year, Islington Council became the first local authority
in the country to make an Article 4 direction to remove permitted development
rights (PDRs) to convert from office to residential. Introduced by the
coalition in May 2013, PDRs allow developers to convert office space into homes
without having to apply for planning permission. However, Islington Council's
Article 4 direction would have removed PDRs across the whole borough from 15
July. But Boles has revoked the council’s directions - citing incorrect figures
in his reasons for doing so. Read more on 24dash.
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