New planning measures will ensure empty and underused offices can be swiftly converted into much-needed housing to make the most use out of previously developed land.

The changes recently announced by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles will make the best use of developed sites by allowing existing buildings to be quickly brought back into productive use. New permitted development rights will allow office space to be converted into new homes without the need for planning permission from the local authority.

This new change of ‘use right’ aims to provide badly needed homes for local people and will make a valuable contribution to easing the national housing shortage. It will help create jobs in the construction industry and to help regenerate our town centres by increasing footfall in high streets.

The permitted development right will be in place for three years, and because local circumstances vary, local authorities will have an opportunity to seek an exemption if they can demonstrate there would be substantial adverse economic consequences.

Further reforms will also help boost rural communities and create jobs by allowing agricultural buildings to be converted for other business uses without the need for planning permission.

Buildings no longer suitable or needed for agricultural use could be transferred into new growth-boosting ventures that benefit rural areas, such as shops, restaurants, small hotels and leisure facilities and offices, under new permitted development rights.

Town centre buildings will also be able to easily convert to help new shops, business start-ups and community projects keen to set up in high streets.

The new rules will allow a range of buildings to temporarily convert for up to two years and will speed up the process of bringing vacate high street buildings back into use.

Mr Pickles said: “We want to promote the use of brownfield land to assist regeneration, and get empty and under-used buildings back into productive use. Using previously developed land and buildings will help us promote economic growth, provide more homes and still ensure that we safeguard environmentally protected land.”

Responding to the government initiative, Ian Fletcher, director of policy at the British Property Federation, said: “Given our acute shortage of homes this is an extremely welcome step.

“Office to residential conversions won’t work for all buildings, or in every area, but any trip through our suburbs soon exposes redundant office space that with the best will in the world is never going to be brought back into commercial use.

“Such conversions will be good for those seeking homes, the wider community and local authorities, who will gain from the New Homes Bonus and council tax receipts that occupation generates.

“However, will need to see further detail on how local exceptions schemes will work. Any exemptions should be few and far between, and this aspect will need to be tightly drawn and policed if it is not to undermine the overall policy objective.”