Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 10
10
The Government should either extend the vacancy period or devise a test that can be...
Recommendation
The Government should either extend the vacancy period or devise a test that can be applied to properties to make sure they are not still viable as class E premises. It should consider the most appropriate vacancy period or test as part of the review of PDRs for change of use to residential. We also recommend the Government amend the prior approval process for the class MA right so that councils, in deciding whether to approve development, can consider the impact of a loss of ground-floor commercial, business and service use on the sustainability of a town centre or high street. (Paragraph 63) Housing
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The 2020 Supporting housing delivery and public service infrastructure1 consultation document set the proposed right in the broader context of changes to the high street: changing consumer behavior, including the move to online shopping and structural changes that has led to a decline in retail units in town centers in England. The resulting Class MA permitted development right supports thriving high streets where people live, shop, and spend their leisure time and prevents premises being left empty. Whether a premises chooses to seek to change use is influenced by a number of factors, including the owners view of the long-term viability of the business and rental returns. To prevent gaming, the building must have been in Commercial, Business and Service use class for two years before benefiting from the right. Where high streets are in conservation areas, an additional prior approval applies allowing for local consideration of the impact of the change of use of the ground floor on the character or sustainability of that conservation area. To go beyond this would make the process more onerous for applicants in respect of the requirements to be met and the information to be provided, and for local planning authorities in the demands placed on them to determine the application for prior approval.