The UK Government last week (22nd July 2023) announced plans to boost its housing stock by making it easier to implement a change of use on empty shops.
The idea is that by easing up the process of transforming empty retail units into residential dwellings the availability of housing in cities can be quickly boosted.
Early analysis of the plans announced found that there is little in terms of new concepts in this scheme.
Indeed, if you find yourself in the position of owning a town centre unit that is no longer in use and are considering your options in terms of its ongoing use. You may find that you are able to take advantage of existing permitted development rules.
In this scenario, we are talking about converting commercial premises into residential dwellings so the process would fall under Class MA.
Implementing Change of Use on Empty Shops
Class MA permitted development rights come with a number of considerations:
- You must apply for prior approval before starting work (Prior Approval is a kind of application that will address a number of factors relating to this specific Class.
- The building must have been vacant for a continuous period of 3 months at a minimum prior to the date of application for prior approval.
- The maximum floor space of the converted property can’t exceed 1500 square metres.
- The development must be for residential use only. Conversion to an HMO is not permitted.
- The commercial property that is being converted cannot be located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, a National Park , or a World Heritage Site.
Faster Decisions
As part of the Government’s announcement, a £24 million investment in planning skills is set to be used to help speed up decision-making and improve planning capacity.
It remains to be seen how this will play out but the hope is that with the right advice, change of use on empty shops and other commercial premises can be achieved faster than ever before. Which in turn will hopefully turn into a good solution for town centre accommodation and an exciting opportunity for investors and developers.
How Can We Help?
While there may be more to come from this government announcement. It seems like the majority of the scheme is just a renewed impetus on implementing existing schemes and planning methods. Simple Planning Solutions can advise on the best course of action to take to achieve planning approval for your commercial property. We can also prepare prior approval for Class MA permitted development.
Michelle Hill MRTPI
As a leading planning consultant I can help with the topics covered in this post. Contact me and I can find you a solution to your planning problem.
