The government hopes it can kill two birds with one stone - solve the housing crisis and save the high street by relaxing planning laws:
Futures Forum: Is turning shops into homes the best way to save our high streets? >>> "Deregulation in pursuit of numbers"
A spate of articles from the Architects' Journal shows there's considerable disquiet about the idea coming from the built environment professionals:
Weekend roundup: Building the slums of the future | Opinion | Architects Journal
Architects should be angrier about poor office-to-resi conversions | Opinion | Architects Journal
Office-to-resi: is it time for architects to boycott? | News | Architects Journal
Office-to-resi conversions producing ‘poor-quality housing’, report warns | News | Architects Journal
And many other professionals are joining in:
A new low in office-to-residential conversions | Opinion | Building Design
Have office to residential conversions had their day? | London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
Quality warning for office-to-resi conversions | Construction Manager - News
Office-to-resi PD rights 'most shameful planning policy since 1945', says TCPA chief | Planning Resource
Indeed, the Town and Country Planning Association has made it very clear that this isn't working:
TCPA launches campaign against office-to-resi development
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has announced a new campaign calling on the government to reverse its policy to allow more developers to bypass the planning system.
Ministers plan to allow more conversions of offices into homes (picture: Getty)
TCPA announces anti-permitted development campaign #ukhousing @theTCPA #ukhousing
Under permitted development rights, commercial and office buildings can be converted into housing without needing planning permission.
In his
Autumn Budget statement last month, chancellor Philip Hammond announced that the freedoms would be extended to include non-residential buildings demolished and then rebuilt as homes.
Permitted development rules were significantly expanded under former communities secretary Eric Pickles in 2013 with the intention of boosting housebuilding – and around 100,000 homes have been delivered this way over the past five years.
However, critics of the policy say it allows developers to build homes well below space standards, remote from infrastructure or with insufficient natural light, as well as dodging affordable housing obligations.
Dr Hugh Ellis, interim chief executive of the TCPA, said: “Permitted development is one of the biggest housing mistakes in post-war history and the legacy will blight a whole generation of people who are condemned to live in tiny cramped conditions without any basic care for their health and well-being.”
“This policy must be stopped before we deliver 21st century slums.”
Listen to a podcast interviewing Nick Raynsford about the planning system:
The TCPA – which was formerly led by National Housing Federation chief executive Kate Henderson – is calling for better data on the effects of permitted development rights and tougher national design rules for housing.
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Inside Housing - News - TCPA launches campaign against office-to-resi development
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from Futures Forum http://bit.ly/2DP3hxt Converting offices into housing under the new 'permitted development rights' allows developers to build homes well below space standards, remote from infrastructure or with insufficient natural light, as well as dodging affordable housing obligations. -
Entrepreneur Generations
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