Rural areas face losing out on investment in infrastructure and affordable homes as a result of forthcoming planning changes allowing more new homes to avoid local approval, local Liberal Democrats have warned.
Currently, landowners can convert agricultural buildings into three new homes without the need for planning permission, but government changes now allow conversions of individual agricultural buildings into five new homes.
There are fears this change to permitted development regulations, which came into force on April 6, may lead to a dramatic increase in the number of conversions. This means an increasing number of larger agricultural to residential conversions will be able to take place without having to get planning permission or contributing towards local services, infrastructure and affordable housing.
The warning comes as the number of “agri to resi” conversions has increased by 46 per cent over the last two years.
In total last year there were almost 19,000 new homes converted from old offices, barns, and storage facilities without local scrutiny.
The Local Government Association estimates this equals a loss of almost 8,200 affordable homes over the last two years and zero investment in local services and infrastructure to support new households.
LGA research published in January showed that one in 10 of all new homes last year were converted from an old office, prompting worries that communities could be hit economically by the shortage of retail and office space. In many parts of the country, over 30 per cent of all new homes were old offices.
Local Liberal Democrats are calling for local communities to have a say over new developments in their areas to ensure it meets community needs.
[YOUR NAME] said:
“It is vital that councils and local communities have a strong voice in the planning process. At present, permitted development rules allow developers to bypass local influence and convert existing buildings to flats, and to do so without providing affordable housing and local services and infrastructure such as roads and schools.
“We have seen an enormous jump in the number of offices being converted into flats in our urban areas, accounting for one in 10 new homes last year and more than 30 per cent of new homes in many of our urban areas.
“Relaxations to ‘agri to resi’ permitted developments risk sparking significant increases in the number of new homes escaping planning scrutiny in rural areas, as developers are able to further bypass local communities and avoid contributing towards crucially needed local infrastructure and affordable housing.
“Planning is not a barrier to house-building, and councils are approving nine in 10 planning applications. But it is essential that councils, which are answerable to their residents, have an oversight of local developments to ensure they are good quality and help build prosperous places.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The LGA has produced “Planning Positively”, a framework for developers and councils to ensure the planning process is followed as efficiently and effectively as possible. The framework has been launched at the LGA’s Housing, Planning and Infrastructure Conference today, in an attempt to encourage collaboration and best practice from across the planning sector. Read more.
- The analysis is of Government Data and refers to England only. The LGA analysis is available on request, and the source data can be found here.
- The LGA has also called for the removal of restrictions on the provision of affordable housing on sites less than 10 units in rural areas.
- The LGA has previously warned about the impact of permitted development on communities, including highlighting that one in ten new homes was an office conversion. More information is available.