Government consultation on permitted development rights

The Planning Committee wrote to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government objecting to the Government’s proposals to enable developers to create new homes from light industrial buildings, warehouses, offices and shops without the need for planning permission.

The Committee argued that conversions of existing office buildings to residential, or indeed of the industrial premises themselves, could seriously compromise the locations’ economic viability, operational efficiency and employment capacity.

The Committee did however support other proposals to allow boroughs to address the rise in the number of betting shops, pawnbrokers and payday loan shops.