RULES that allow office blocks to be converted into flats without planning permission are allowing developers to avoid building affordable homes, the Thurrock Labour Party has said.
The permitted development rules allow developers to convert offices into residential tower blocks without following normal planning obligations – including any requirement to provide affordable homes or infrastructure.
The council’s planning records show that Thurrock has had 11 developments of this kind permitted since 2016.
While the Conservative Government introduced the scheme in 2013 to boost house building, Labour’s shadow housing secretary warned last week they were allowing developers to “ignore what local communities need” and called for the rules to be scrapped.
Councillor John Kent, leader of Thurrock’s Labour Party, has backed the comments by the shadow housing secretary saying that change is needed if councils like Thurrock are to solve the housing crisis.
He said: “Permitted development rights introduced since 2013 allow developers to bypass the normal planning process by converting commercial spaces into housing without the consent of the council and local community.
“This gives developers a get-out from requirements to provide affordable housing and meet basic quality rules such as space standards creating ‘rabbit hutch’ flats.
“These Conservative changes were introduced to boost house-building numbers, but it means that housing units just a few feet wide in former office blocks are now counted in official statistics as ‘new homes’. There are 42,000 new housing units that have been converted from offices since 2015.
“Conservative permitted development rules have created a get-out clause for developers to dodge affordable homes requirements and build sub-standard homes.
“Thurrock Council estimates it will receive 1500 new homeless cases this year. To fix this housing crisis we really need more genuinely affordable, high-quality homes. This Conservative housing free-for-all gives developers a free hand to build what they want but ignores what our community needs.”
The leader of the Conservatives, Rob Gledhill, was contacted to comment on the issue but did not respond.
Conservative Party vice-chairman for local government Marcus Jones said: “Labour’s plans would cut housebuilding and put a stop to people achieving home ownership.
“We are backing permitted development rights which are converting dormant offices into places families can call home.”
