The Government has undertaken a big shake-up of how the use of property can be adapted across England.
There’s lots going on and finer detail to be considered but here are few things that you might want to note:
- These changes give businesses and property investors flexibility to adapt and diversify to meet changing demands in today’s economic climate.
- The reforms will affect and deliver flexibility for any buildings wherever they are in England.
- The reforms contribute to delivering the Government’s housing targets by encouraging the creation of new homes from the regeneration of vacant and redundant buildings.
- There will be a new Use Class created called E Class – which will be a general “commercial, business and service” use class. It will absorb previous classes A1, A2, A3, B1 and parts of D1 and D2 and covers retail, food, financial services, indoor sport and fitness, medical or health services, nurseries, offices and light industry. This means any property within these classes can now change use to any other type of business within this new class – without obtaining planning permission.
- There is a New Permitted Development Right which will allow the demolishment of vacant commercial and residential buildings and the construction of new houses in their place. On top of this the new rule allows for the construction of a new building that can be up to two storeys higher than the old building.
- A second New Permitted Development Right allows upwards extensions to existing blocks of flats. So, two storeys can be added if the existing building is two or more storeys tall, or one additional storey where the building consists of one storey.
This presents property investors with a plethora of opportunities to re-purpose commercial buildings and adapt existing residential buildings.
If you want to read more click on the links below: