The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), the Civic Voice and the Bath Preservation Trust have raised concerns over the extension of permitted development rights.
Government proposals set out in their consultation on planning reform to support the high street and increase the delivery of new homes, seek to extend permitted development rights by allowing the upwards extension and conversion of non-domestic properties into dwellings.
The TCPA acknowledged that converting employment building to residential can be done to a good standard and deliver homes, however doing so through means of permitted development would result in very limited oversight and scrutiny of developments. They claimed that current permitted development has resulted in poor quality housing that in turn has adverse implications for the health and well-being of residents. The TCPA believe extending upwards to create new homes should be encouraged but subject to the full planning process.
Executive Director of the Civic Voice, Ian Harvey, said that the charity support the idea of encouraging a greater mix of high street use, however he raised concerns that: ''given the high visibility and prominence of upward extensions and potential impact on the street scene, local character and amenity, very careful consideration of such proposals must be required.'' They believe full consideration should be given to the design, external appearance and impact on amenity and character of the area for any proposal to extend up to the highest building in a street.
Chair of the Civic Voice, Joan Humble, commented: ''We may end up with poor-quality designed housing without consideration for the wider built environment, something we know is key to successful high streets.''
Worries have also been voiced by the Royal Town Planning Institute in relation to the Government's proposals over the potentially serious implications for local authorities who would not be able to collect planning fees and developer contributions if the developments were made under permitted development. They state that permitted development rights should be used for simple minor changes and not new developments on such a scale which they believe require scrutiny under a full local planning application.
For more information, see the:
