Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Conclusion 9
Third Report - Permitted Development Rights
Published 22 Jul 2021
Paragraph 62
Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Permitted Development Rights All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We support the Government’s aim of revitalising our high streets and town centres, but we are concerned that the new class MA right could undermine attempts to do so. The current requirement that properties need only have been vacant from three months could put viable businesses at risk of being evicted by landlords seeking a profit from residential conversions. This resulting loss of businesses could have a negative effect on footfall. As we heard repeatedly, a viable business will attract more footfall than a residential conversion. We cannot see how footfall will be boosted if high street shops, which serve local workers and visitors, are replaced by flats. That being said, we acknowledge that there may be merit in converting upper Permitted Development Rights 39 floors of properties on the high street. We are also concerned that the protection for ground-floor premises in the prior approval process applies only in conservation areas.
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Third Report - Permitted Development Rights (HC 32), paragraph 62, 22 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 23 May 2023 (deadline 22 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government has published its response to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee's July 2021 report on permitted development rights, but the page gives only a general description of it.
- The Committee's July 2021 report made "a number of recommendations" on permitted development rights, Article 4 directions and use classes.
- The response was published alongside the introduction of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and the government response to the Committee's report on The Future of Planning.
- The text available here does not set out the government's position on individual recommendations or any specific commitments; these are in the full response document, which applies to England.