Lobbying organization pushes for complete abolition of allowed self-build permissions
In the heart of England's housing crisis, with over 270,000 people homeless and more than 1.2 million households on council house waiting lists, a significant campaign against Permitted Development Rights (PDR) has been launched. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has taken the lead, joined by a coalition of organisations including Shelter, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Town and Country Planning Association, and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).
The coalition criticises PDR for allowing developers, often referred to as realtors, to bypass local planning rules and avoid contributing to affordable homes for sale. Homes delivered through this route are not required to make any such contribution, unlike other forms of developments. The groups argue that thousands of affordable homes for sale are being lost due to homes going through PDR instead of the planning system.
Under the leadership of the RTPI, the coalition has expressed concern about the government's plan to expand PDR for housing and reduce the requirement for planning permission. They argue that this could financially hurt local authorities by preventing them from collecting planning fees.
The RTPI warns that some homes created through PDR are of poor quality and have little access to essential amenities like schools, GPs, and playgrounds. The worst living environments created through PDR have been on industrial sites, according to the coalition.
Medact, a leading health charity, previously warned of the expansion of PDR, claiming they could contribute to a decline in living standards by placing families in cramped conditions. The LGA states that PDR needs to be "urgently revoked" due to a loss of funding from planning applications and Section 106 payments, making it difficult for local councils to oversee planning enforcement properly or address planning violations.
The campaign is supported by 15 other organisations, including the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation, Levitt Bernstein, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Planning Officers Society, G15, Crisis, Solace, the Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region, and the County Councils Network.
The RTPI's Chief Executive, Victoria Hills, criticised the decision to allow homes to be converted without planning permission, stating that many homes created through PDR are of poor quality and have little access to essential amenities.
Since 2013, developers have had a national right to convert office space into residential homes, with nearly 7% of new homes provided in this way in the last three years. Research by the LGA and Shelter shows that more than 10,000 affordable homes for sale have been lost in the last three years due to office buildings being converted into homes through PDR.
As the housing crisis in England continues to escalate, the campaign against PDR gains momentum, promising to bring much-needed attention to the issue and push for changes that prioritise affordable homes for sale and quality living environments.
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