The Local Government Association, which represents 370 councils across England and Wales, has warned that local communities have missed out on around 10,500 affordable homes because of permitted development rights.
Permitted development rights are granted for smaller, uncontentious developments that don't really need a planning authority to make a decision on. Typically, it includes development such as small domestic extensions, some changes of use, temporary buildings, small non-domestic extensions etc.
The permitted development rights have been extended in recent years by the government in response to their clear desire to build more houses. As a result, some offices can be converted to residential uses without the need for planning permission, subject to strict conditions. However, allowing developers to legally bypass the planning system means they do not need to convert offices into affordable housing units, which is beginning to cause an issue.
Since 2015, 42,130 housing units in England have been made from offices thanks to permitted development rights. But because the development is not required to be approved by a local planning authority, the conversions did not include affordable housing conditions. This is something of a concern to many local councils.
As a result, the Local Government Association is calling for the government to drop plans to further extend permitted development rights, and is renewing its call to actually drop the rights altogether.
Martin Tett, the housing spokesman for the Local Government Association, is concerned that permitted development removes the ability for local communities to shape the area they live in and that they diminish high standards of building, as well as resulting in the loss of affordable housing. He said: "The loss of office space is also leaving businesses and start-ups without any premises in which to base themselves. Extending permitted development rules risks exacerbating these problems.
"Planning is not a barrier to house-building, with councils approving nine in 10 planning applications. It is vital that councils and local communities have a voice in the planning process. Councils, which are answerable to their residents, must be given back their ability to oversee all local developments to ensure they are good quality and help build prosperous places."
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