On 24 July, Michael Gove MP announced a series of proposed reforms and initiatives aimed at delivering more housing, boosting the economy and reforming the
planning system.

These initiatives include new allocations from the £1.5bn Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund towards further funding in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and more funding towards Homes England. Cambridge is also targeted as the Government seeks to enable more housing, infrastructure and high-end tech employment in this city to raise its status as ‘Europe’s science capital’.

However, at the heart of the proposed reforms in the current White Paper are the proposed changes to permitted development and prior approval, to introduce greater flexibility and relaxation in the planning system and speed up the delivery of additional homes in towns, cities and rural areas.

Floor space limits relaxed or abolished
The government is addressing changes in consumer behaviour that have impacted town centres and high streets by exploring amendments to change of use permitted development rights. These changes aim to create more resilient high streets by introducing a mix of residential, commercial, and leisure uses. To further support housing delivery, views are sought on amending existing permitted development rights in Part 3 of the General Permitted Development Order, which allows the change of use of certain buildings to residential.

To provide more flexibility and support housing delivery, the government proposes increasing or abolishing the floorspace limit for changing use to residential. For Class MA rights (use class E to C3 dwellings) this is currently set at 1,500 square meters, but the limit could be doubled to 3,000sqm or removed entirely, allowing for more substantial housing developments, especially on larger sites.