Office to Residential Permitted Development

• Temporary Permitted Development rules to be made permanent

Brandon Lewis, the minister for Planning and housing has announced that the temporary permitted development (PD) rights, allowing conversion from office to residential, without planning consent will be made permanent and will not therefore lapse at the end of May 2016 as originally planned.

The minister also said that the new permanent right would allow office buildings to be demolished 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.

He also announced new permitted development rights will enable the change of use of light industrial buildings and launderettes to new homes.

Those areas that are currently exempt from the office to residential permitted development rights, including some London Boroughs, will have until May 2019 to make an Article 4 direction if they wish to continue determining planning applications for the change of use.

The right to allow for the demolition of offices to be replaced with new build residential schemes will be subject to limitations and prior approval by the local planning authority.

The new permitted development rights for the change of use of light industrial buildings and launderettes to residential use will also be subject to prior approval by the local planning authority.

At this stage the policy has only recently been announced and we therefore await further details.

However, if you would like to discuss how you could take advantage of this please contact Jonathan Rogers (01634 265900).