Office to Residential Conversions

Office to residential conversions are a permanent feature of permitted development rights from 6 April 2016.

The rights were first introduced on a temporary basis nearly two years ago.

An amendment to the General Permitted Development Order includes a new condition which allows local planning authorities to consider the impact of noise from commercial premises on occupants of the housing.

The time-limit on exemptions obtained for parts of London and Manchester will run out in May 2019. Planning authorities will be able to apply for Article 4 directions to remove the rights.

The change to permitted development to facilitate residential conversions will also apply to launderettes and, from 2017, light industrial up to a maximum floor space of 500 square metres.

New permitted development rights for mineral exploration which will allow for boreholes for specific monitoring purposes where there is preparatory petroleum exploration are also coming into force.