• “PERMITTED development rights” are three dry but important words that generate very different reactions.

For property developers they will create sensations of glee. For local communities and councils they inspire nothing more than frustration and dread. And now they may spell the end of the high street.

In short these “rights” mean landlords no longer need to receive planning permission from the local authority to make a change to their building, sometimes even major alterations.

The government previously allowed offices to become flats with no thought of the quality of housing or impact on services.

And they are at it again. This time they want commercial uses like shops to convert straight to housing, without anyone local having any say.

Imagine the recently closed, former flagship Habitat store on Tottenham Court Road becoming a block of bedsits – all without local consultation or a decision by the democratically elected planning committee.

We can see how it might happen: retailers facing a tough few years decide to sell to a speculative property developer who converts our local post office, newsagent, or hairdresser, to a few pokey private flats. All without the need to provide affordable housing either.

A resident recently approached me as their councillor about the fumes and noise from a new café making his life hell.

Where did this come from? Yet another change the government has introduced under cover of Covid-19. It enables cafés, restaurants, shops, and offices to all to change use between each other.

Upsettingly the government has neutered councils’ ability to judge if these proposals are suitable.

As retail guru Mary Portas recently told Camden councillors, our high streets must become places of more activity – not less. Places for leisure uses, fun, and social interaction.

Turning shops into flats will make our high streets gap-toothed, with less reason to visit, to browse, to meet a friend for a coffee at the café that’s now a house.

The Tories themselves know this vandalism will not create jobs or deliver the quality homes we need.

The government commissioned UCL to study the impact of their earlier series of permitted development rights – and buried the findings because they revealed the terrible impact this constant deregulation has.

Just over 20 per cent of homes created through these rights met the minimum liveable space standards; almost three-quarters only had windows on one side of the home; and some had no windows at all.

Why does the government want people to live in rabbit hutches on dying high streets? Camden has strongly objected to the government’s trojan horse proposals.

The question is as ever: will the Conservative government continue to pay lip service to localism, while prioritising the interests of property speculators and party donors?

If you also feel the rights of communities to have their say about planning proposals should come before that of speculative property developments – if you want to save our high streets – please share your views with the government department responsible: PublicServiceInfrastructure&PermittedDevelopmentConsultation@communities.gov.uk

CLLR DANNY BEALES
Cabinet Member for Investing in Communities