The Government has confirmed that the right to change buildings from office use to residential use without the need to obtain planning permission, which was due to expire in May 2016, is to be continued.
The change, which was designed to help ease the provision of more residential property, has also been amended to allow (under terms not yet specified) office buildings to be demolished and replaced with new residential properties.
Where approval for a conversion has already been given, there will be a three-year deadline to complete the change of use to residential use.
A new permitted development right to convert light industrial buildings and, curiously, laundrettes to residential use is also proposed.