Housing Crisis Solution Proposal: Discussing Permitted Development Rights
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) has launched a consultation aimed at delivering housing more efficiently. The consultation proposes extending Permitted Development Rights (PDR) to allow for changes in land use, particularly focusing on converting hotels (Class C1) to residential properties.
The consultation seeks views on broadening the right to enable its use for other types of Article 2(3) land, with the exception of World Heritage Sites. This move could potentially see a change in the overall character of the area and an increase in residential footfall, but would not change the physical appearance of buildings in these areas.
One of the headline amendments is the proposal to extend or potentially remove the Class MA floorspace threshold, currently at 1,500 sq m. This could benefit larger sites by reducing costs and scrutiny associated with full planning permission. However, a size limit on the amount of floorspace that can be converted may be applied.
Another proposed change is to remove the requirement for a property to be vacant for a continuous period of three months immediately prior to an application for prior approval. The removal of this requirement would be welcomed by those looking to benefit from Class MA, as it would reduce unwanted costs to owners.
The consultation also proposes extending Class MA to include Class C1 (hotels and hostels) for conversion to residential use. This could provide flexibility and facilitate the delivery of more homes to help with the UK housing crisis.
However, the amendment could raise concerns regarding the impacts of the change of use on the local tourism economy. Specific safeguards may come into play to address these concerns.
The consultation ends on 25 September. The outcome of the consultation and subsequent housing figures should be monitored to assess the impact of these proposed changes on the UK housing market.
It is difficult to predict whether these proposed changes will increase housing delivery. The complexity of PDR has increased with the number of conditions and the requirement for supporting technical documents, making it challenging to predict the exact impact of these changes.
The specific authority in the UK that provides consultation on the revision of certain permitted development rights is the local planning authority, which regulates permitted development under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. This process is managed locally, often with advice from qualified architects or planning experts. However, the exact final deadline for the consultation or revision process of these rights is not explicitly stated in the provided information.
