Title page
Contents
Summary 5
1. Permitted development rights 7
1.1. Prior approval for permitted development 7
1.2. General restrictions on permitted development 10
1.3. Local restrictions on permitted development: Article 4 directions 10
2. Use classes and change of use 13
2.1. Current use classes (as of September 2020) 13
2.2. Changes to use classes in September 2020 14
2.3. Proposed changes to use classes: A new use class for short-term lets 18
2.4. When is planning permission required to undertake a change of use? 18
3. In detail: Permitted development rights to deliver new homes 20
3.1. Extending existing building upwards to create new homes 20
3.2. Converting offices or other commercial buildings to homes 21
3.3. Converting agricultural buildings to homes 23
3.4. Converting other buildings to homes 24
3.5. Proposed changes to permitted development rights to deliver new homes 24
4. Statistics: New homes delivered through permitted development rights 27
4.1. New homes delivered through change of use 27
4.2. New homes created through other PDRs 29
5. Views on permitted development rights to deliver new homes 31
5.1. Support for PDRs to speed up housing delivery 31
5.2. Questions about number of homes delivered 33
5.3. Concerns about the quality, type and location 34
5.4. Government response to concerns 37
5.5. Impact on high streets and town centres 39
5.6. Role of PDRs in the planning system 41
Table 1. Current use classes (as of September 2020) 14
Table 2. Use classes until and since September 2020 16