In a response to Government’s consultation proposing greater flexibility to convert retail property into new homes, the British Property Federation (BPF) has welcomed its potential to both support the high street and provide an increase in much-needed housing.
With high street vacancy rates averaging 14 per cent and house building at historic lows, the BPF expressed enthusiasm for the creation of permitted development rights to enable retail-to-resi development.
The property trade body recommended that in order to ensure change-of-use remains relevant and advantageous, local authorities must strategically identify in advance which areas should be designated for change of use, and reflect such zoning in their local plans. The consultation response also called for:
- Encouragement for Local Authorities to think more strategically about their retail areas;
- The process of gaining prior approval for change of use to be simple and concise, and include consideration of any given unit’s economic viability;
- Assurances from local authorities that any retail-to-resi conversion will not have a resulting impact on existing business;
- Permitted development rights to change retail units to banks and building societies, stipulating the necessity for greater clarity on the definition of these institutions;
- Permitted development rights to change existing agricultural buildings to residential properties, stipulating that the upper threshold of 150m2 may be somewhat conservative.
Liz Peace, chief executive of the BPF, said “We are fully behind the provision of greater local-authority flexibility to re-class redundant shops for development into desperately needed homes. Other retail conversions that might regenerate town centres by encouraging high street footfall would be a welcome breath of life for both the property industry and local communities.
“Recent high-profile reviews from Mary Portas and Bill Grimsey have energised industry consensus that retail-led high streets are no longer viable for the long-term, and that broader ‘community hubs’ may be the future of high street regeneration. As such, should this change-of-use initiative prove successful we would encourage the Government to consider proposals to redevelop retail units for leisure and community uses.”