Architects have warned of the disastrous unintended consequences of a government proposal that would allow high streets and town centres to be converted into housing without planning permission.
The half-baked ideas could do irreversible harm to the commercial hearts of towns and cities up and down the country, they said, and render local authorities powerless to intervene in shaping their districts.
Former RIBA president Ben Derbyshire said the loss of local democratic control was unacceptable at a philosophical level and questioned ministers claim that the proposal would breathe new life into cities. Instead he predicted that footfall would plummet with devastating results.
In a consultation announced this month the government proposed the creation of a new permitted development (PD) right, effectively granting permission for the vast majority of commercial buildings in England to be converted to homes.
The proposed right, which could come in to force as soon as August and does not require primary legislation, would apply even in conservation areas.
It would allow any buildings in the newly created Class E use class to be converted into homes without planning consent.
Class E covers the vast majority of non-residential town centre uses, including offices, shops, restaurants, estate agents, gyms, GP surgeries and nurseries and many more. Only a small number of distinct uses kept outside Class E because of their unique characteristics or community value such as pubs and theatres will be exempt from the new right.
The proposed right is much wider ranging than existing conversion rights, introduced in 2015, which have seen more than 72,000 homes created from former offices and light industrial units. Not only does this extend the right to many more building types restaurants and cafes, clinics and creches for example but the tight size limits imposed on many of the existing rights would be removed.
Until now, for example, while developers have technically had a permitted development right to turn shops and professional services premises into homes, this has only applied to properties smaller than 150sq m.
Now, however, properties of any size can be converted without planning permission meaning the largest shops on the high street could be quickly converted into homes, with no right for the local authority to object.
In order to undertake the conversion, developers will have to meet space standards and ensure the provision of adequate natural light, as well as meet a handful of other tick-box prior approval criteria a response to the growing criticisms of the poor quality and small size of many existing homes created under PD rules.
However, these prior approval criteria will not allow local authorities to object to the conversion on the basis that they want to retain commercial uses in a particular location, or in order to support the delivery of local plan policies around town centres.
The proposal also goes further than previous rights in that it will apply in conservation areas albeit with an additional prior approval criterion added to consider the impact of conversion on the conservation area.
Only a short list of areas including National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty will be exempt from the new right. However, local authorities will have the ability to apply for so-called article 4 directions exempting specific areas from the measures, if they can mount a persuasive case as to why that is necessary. A number of London boroughs, for example, managed to secure similar exemptions from the 2015 office-to-resi rights. And they were enthusiastically deployed by prime minister Boris Johnson when he was mayor of London to protect the capitals commercial heartland.
Local authorities will not be able to object on the basis that they want to retain commercial uses in a particular location, or in order to support local plan policies around town centres
The new proposal is so far-reaching that leading planning barrister Zack Simons, of Landmark Chambers, said it was by far the most radical planning reform of the year, despite the publication of the Planning for the Future white paper in the summer, and the bringing in of a raft of other controversial permitted development rights (such as the right to demolish and rebuild commercial property).
The proposals have been welcomed by some developer lobby groups, including the Home Builders Federation, with Housing Today columnist Paul Smith, of developer Strategic Land Group, writing today that permitted development rightsprovide the ability for our towns and cities to respond quickly to changing circumstances.
However, Holly Lewis, co-founding partner at architect We Made That which has extensive experience of working with local authorities on urban realm strategies, told Building Design: When have you ever walked through a residential area and thought, Wow! This place is buzzing!? Its common sense that uncontrolled switching of high street units into housing threatens the vitality of our town centres.
Opening up high streets to property speculation as a misguided attempt to answer current challenges will only exacerbate the ingrained inequalities that have been so starkly exposed by the pandemic.
Julia Park, head of housing research at architect Levitt Bernsteins, questioned the governments haste.
In a column published today in Housing Today sister publication BD, she writes: It is hard to imagine that the re-purposing of high streets and town centres will ever be reversed so these decisions cannot be taken lightly.
Given the long-term impact that so many of these half-baked ideas will have, local authorities surely deserve time to plan for an orchestrated shrinkage of town centres and high streets, incentivised by favourable business rates for non-residential uses and we deserve a planning process that upholds local democracy.
Ben Derbyshire, chairman of housing specialist HTA Design, warned of the chaotic free-for-all that would ensue.
As everyone knows, including Robert Jenrick, a successful high street has to be curated: ask any of the Great Estates in London, he said. Marylebone High Street prospers because someone really cares about whos there and the shopping experience.
He warned: The amount of activity of high streets would plummet and that has to be really carefully managed and thats before we get to the quality of the accommodation itself.
PD conversions would bring in no section 106 money and councils would also lose business rates, while at the same time facing a potentially higher social services load as a consequence of people living in substandard accommodation. He also questioned how the new homes would be serviced with no space for wheelie bins among other issues.
Derbyshire urged the profession to keep up the criticism until the disastrous unintended consequences have been averted, pointing out that some U-turns on PD rights have already been won by campaigners, such as the requirement for space standards to apply and for habitable rooms to have a window.
Follow this link:
Architects fear latest permitted development expansion will be disastrous - Housing Today
- Donald Judds Everlasting Influence - Curbed - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Architectural Billings See Continued Decline, Marking 19th Straight Month. - ARCHITECT Magazine - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Personal SpaceStep Inside the Homes of Eight Top Dallas Architects - D Magazine - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Architects tell board to make decisions - The Daily Standard - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Law Roach, the Architect of Zendayas Red-Carpet Style - The New Yorker - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- What made this project the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering by HLM Architects - Building Design - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- With Major New Awards, RKTB Spreads National Message of Attainable Housing for All in Era of Unmet Need - Archinect - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- National Academy of Design names architects to its 2024 list of Academicians - The Architect's Newspaper - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Fox's chief political anchor interviewed the architect of Project 2025. Here are some of the details he failed to mention. - Media Matters for America - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Landscape Architects Rise to the Challenge of Coastal Flooding - ArchDaily - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Studio Gang unites five disciplines at the University of Kentuckys new Gray Design Building - The Architect's Newspaper - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- The architect of the Bison football dynasty - INFORUM - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- A star architect reflects on his visions for San Francisco that never got built - San Francisco Chronicle - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Architects build self-sufficient Smi community hub to withstand extreme conditions north of Arctic Circle here's how - The Cool Down - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- An open letter to the board of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation - The Architect's Newspaper - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Girlroom by Samiha Room elevates the spatial politics of girlhood - The Architect's Newspaper - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Gallery of Landscape Architects Rise to the Challenge of Coastal Flooding - 1 - ArchDaily - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- RIBA's Affordable Housing and Adaptive Reuse Shortlists - World-Architects - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Sean Godsells advice to the next generation of designers and architects - Architecture AU - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- MWAA seeks architect for redevelopment of DCA's Terminal 1 - The Business Journals - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- 'Remarkable honor': Ketchum architect recognized for use of sustainable materials - Idaho Mountain Express and Guide - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio: Everything You Need to Know About the Architect's First Home - Architectural Digest - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Sandpoint Downtown and Waterfront Revitalization in Idaho - e-architect - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Neuroscientists and architects are using this enormous laboratory to make buildings better - MIT Technology Review - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Exploring the East Village via the Swiss Institute - World-Architects - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Gallery of MAD Architects Metallic Tornado Is Taking Shape Above Rotterdams Museum of Migration - 1 - ArchDaily - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Designs of TenBerke and Mahlum Architects-led University of Washington residence hall project unveiled - Archinect - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Koichi Takada Architects' Upper House is a top-to-bottom display of craft and creative inspiration - Archinect - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- The Pandemic Is History, but for Architects, Its Impact on Office Design Remains - Archinect - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- TenBerke and Mahlum Architects reveal University of Washingtons Haggett Hall - The Architect's Newspaper - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- PEI Architects adds a new geometric gateway to the Shanghai Free Trade Zone - Archinect - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- The Longevity & Legacy of the 'Vanilla Architect': How a Monoculture Yields Cycles of Unconscious Bias, Tokenism, and System Justification -... - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Meet the Judges Behind ARCHITECTs 2024 Progressive Architecture Awards - ARCHITECT Magazine - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- 16 Connecticut Interior Designers, Architects, and Landscape Pros to Know From the AD PRO Directory - Architectural Digest - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- The next generation of architects building the new Nashville | - WPLN - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- 2024 Women in Construction Maria Welch Bray Architects - Daily Reporter - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Inside the world's biggest football stadium: Architects working on the new Old Trafford reveal plans for 115,000-capacity venue in Morocco in bid to... - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- House of Cluster / YD Architects - ArchDaily - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Look Inside These Award-Winning Architecture Projects In DC - Washingtonian - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Expert architects transform 80-year-old bungalow into remarkable passive home: 'It's as green as green building gets' - Yahoo! Voices - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Dezeen Agenda features Zaha Hadid Architects' Central Bank of Iraq - Dezeen - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- JLand & Zaha Hadid Architects to Build Discovery City in Malaysia - Archilovers.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Interactive OKO Story and Animation Centre in Poland - e-architect - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Belgian architect Marie-Jos Van Hee is named the 15th Alvar Aalto Medal winner - Archinect - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Photos reveal Zaha Hadid Architects' Central Bank of Iraq nearing completion in Baghdad - Dezeen - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Traditional Windmill Restoration in Kherson, Ukraine - e-architect - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- PNC Arena architects offer first look at how $300 million renovation could refresh arena - Raleigh News & Observer - August 4th, 2024 [August 4th, 2024]
- After 2 architects wouldnt bend to Syracuse Universitys will, SU targeted their employers - syracuse.com - August 4th, 2024 [August 4th, 2024]
- New Mogavero Architects President Renner Johnston brings philosophy background to role - The Business Journals - August 4th, 2024 [August 4th, 2024]
- GrooveCraft // A DJ Camp for Sonic Architects (ages 11-14) - Portland Art Museum - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Field Arts & Events Hall / LMN Architects - ArchDaily - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Finnish Museum of History and Future Selects Sigge Architects' Design as Competition Winner - ArchDaily - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Ceramics of Italy Holds Contest for Architects to Win Trip to Cersaie - Floor Focus - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Architects design self-sustaining home in mountains with remarkable features: 'The retreat offers a new model' - The Cool Down - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- The 2024 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers Presents the Winners in Online Exhibition - ArchDaily - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Architect builds net-zero home with remarkable 'skin' that saves energy: 'Creating an extremely efficient, airtight envelope' - The Cool Down - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Architects announced for $42M Boise Airport project - KTVB.com - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- 9 Unbuilt Zaha Hadid Buildings That Celebrate Her Bold Vision - Architectural Digest - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Architects organize first-ever 'Spruce Up' event for Juneteenth, connecting with East Knoxville community - WBIR.com - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Architects behind world's tallest building unveil gravity-based technology that transforms skyscrapers into batteries ... - Yahoo! Voices - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- swiss pavilion to welcome visitors inside spheres engulfed by plants at expo 2025 osaka - Designboom - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Architects construct home with world's first concrete capable of absorbing air pollution: 'The design transpires into ... - The Cool Down - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Auditors Office Arrests Landscape Architect Accused of Fraud - Vicksburg Daily News - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Museum of History and the Future, Turku, Finland - e-architect - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Architect: Whose Title Is It Anyway? | Features - Archinect - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Termites are nature's architects, building well-ventilated nests - Earth.com - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- County okays agreement with architect for renovation county office building - WspyNews - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- hiroyuki ito architects' tenjincho place is a curving slice of nature in tokyo - Designboom - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- New University of Mississippi Architect Contributes to 1000 Projects and Counting The Local Voice - The Local Voice - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Similar, but not the same: How qualifying as an architect differs between the US and UK - Building Design - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Charles E. Dagit Jr., award-winning architect, civic leader, and champion sailor, has died at 80 - The Philadelphia Inquirer - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Renowned architect to visit Stuckeman to juror student design competition - Penn State University - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Trial begins for man accused of throwing Des Moines architect over a railing to his death in 2016 - KCCI Des Moines - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- 'It will be breathtaking,' Notre Dame's chief architect says; iconic cathedral reopens Dec. 8 - Detroit Catholic - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- The reflection of a city in motion. West Bund Orbit by Wutopia Lab | The Strength of Architecture | From 1998 - Metalocus - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- The best new metal songs this week: April 12 2024 - Louder - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architecture and the Right to Housing - Canadian Architect - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architect Tipton Housewright Says Too Much Parking is 'Bad Urban Design' - CandysDirt.com - CandysDirt.com - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Why architects sorely need a new approach to resourcing projects - Architect's Journal - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- former textile workshop transforms into modern machiya residence in kyoto - Designboom - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]