Recommendation 1

The Government’s recent changes to the use class system and the introduction of the class MA permitted development right are a continuation of the policy of successive governments since 2013 of using PDR to speed up housing delivery. We understand the intention behind residential PDRs. We also support the use of prior approval and other conditions to control the quality and other aspects of permitted development. We note, however, that the regime might have become so complicated it is now little different from the full planning system.