English Government announces outcome of consultation concerning the change of use of commercial and other uses to dwellings without submitting a planning application

In recent months, the Government in England has undertaken a series of consultations on various changes in the planning system aimed at enabling more permitted development.  The Government has announced the outcome of one of these consultations (which the SLCC responded to) concerning enabling the change of use of commercial and other uses into dwelling houses.

This would have, amongst other things,  expanded the scope of agricultural buildings to residential, commonly known as Class Q development.

The Government has announced that it intends to make it easier to allow such conversions to be made without the need for a planning application, but appears to have shelved the proposal that this new right should be extended to ‘protected areas’ such as conservation areas, national parks and areas of outstanding national beauty.

The new order containing these changes can be found here.

Source: slcc.co.uk