The government published its long-awaited housing paper last week as it unveiled plans to speed up the planning system in order to meet the target of building 1.5 million homes during the course of the current parliament.
The paper included an annual 370,000 housing target but it rowed back on proposals which would insist residential projects built on grey belt sites included 50 percent affordable housing.
It also ommitted to include a ban on the re-development of commercial office space into residential flats.
When in opposition, Labour had said it would scrap a similar policy, claiming they were leading to the creation of “slum” housing.
There were over 10,000 responses to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation.
The NPPF also requires local authorities to identify lower-quality land and developments to be subject to infrastructure requirements.
Hugh Ellis, policy director at the Town and Country Planning Association, was reported in the Guardian as pointing out many of the commercial blocks earmarked for development are built on industrial estates or business parks.
They often have poor ventilation, poor access, and very little outdoor space.
Ellis said: “It is shameful that Labour has allowed this policy to continue. It is Dickensian – tolerating the creation of slum housing for those people most in need.”
The Guardian noted that in April 2019, John Healey, the then shadow housing secretary who is now in charge of defence, pledged to scrap rules that had allowed developers to bypass the planning process and create the flats.
Ellis said not all the homes built via office-to-residential schemes were substandard. He said that any developments needed to be regulated to make sure the housing was up to standard. He added: “This is a free-for-all.”
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Our plan to build 1.5m homes is clear that all homes must be well designed and provide the safety and security people need. We will keep permitted development rights under review.”
