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Converting offices post-COVID could lead to ‘surge in sub-standard home conversions’, LGA warns
Office blocks left empty after the COVID-19 pandemic could be turned into ‘sub-standard’ homes, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned as an analysis reveals the impact of office-to-residential conversions over the past five years.
An analysis by the LGA found that office-to-residential conversions already account for more than a third of new homes being developed in certain parts of the country.
In 2019/20, more than half (56.6%) of all new homes in Trafford were office conversions, with 40.9% in Crawley, 37.5% in Harlow, 36.7% in Walsall and 36.3% in Luton.
However, the LGA said it fears that these numbers could grow further as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic leaving more offices and other businesses empty as people switch to home-working and move away from cities.
Office-to-residential conversions are made possible through permitted development rights, which allow developers to bypass the usual planning process when converting certain types of buildings.
Over the past few years the government has expanded the scope of permitted development rights to make it easier for developers to convert empty buildings, but these types of conversions have been heavily criticised for the poor housing that is often created as a result.
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Last year an independent report commissioned by the government found that permitted development conversions “create worse quality residential environments than planning permission conversions in relation to a number of factors widely linked to the health, wellbeing and quality of life of future occupiers”.
While this did not prevent the government from expanding the scope of permitted development rights, it did introduce new rules which stated that homes developed through permitted development rights must meet national space standards.
The LGA’s analysis also found that 16,000 affordable homes may have been lost in England over the past five years as a result of permitted development rights.
This is because developers are not forced to build a certain number of affordable homes when using permitted development rights, like they are when going through the planning system.
The LGA is calling on the government to scrap permitted development rights entirely.
David Renard, the LGA’s housing spokesperson, said: “There is a real possibility that some office blocks, retail and commercial spaces will remain empty beyond COVID-19 and end up being converted into housing under permitted development rights, bypassing the local planning system and the voice of local communities, who will be hamstrung in their ability to raise any objections or issues.
“We have long had concerns over the sub-standard housing created from permitted development conversions, and the lack of any requirement for developers to provide affordable homes or supporting infrastructure.
“The planning system exists to enable the delivery of a mix of high-quality, affordable housing that meets the needs of local communities, and gives those communities the opportunity to shape and define the area they live in.
“Councils are committed to building the housing this country desperately needs as part of the national recovery from coronavirus, but we urge the government to protect the future quality of new homes by permanently revoking the permitted development rights for change of use into homes.”
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment.
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