Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability]

This report recommends the making of a non-immediate Article 4 Direction for growth areas and town centres in the Borough to remove permitted development rights for Office (B1a) to Residential (C3).

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability introduced this report which recommended the making of a non-immediate Article 4 Direction for growth areas and town centres in the Borough to remove permitted development rights for Office (B1a) to Residential (C3).

The Cabinet Member noted that the report would prevent offices from being converted into residential units. Such residential units were often of poor standard and the Council was acting to prevent such conversions in growth areas and town centres of the Borough. To prevent any future challenges, the making of the Non-Immediate Article 4 Directions were to be carried out gradually across the borough with this report marking the first step.

RESOLVED

1. To note the regulatory requirements for the making of a new Article 4 Direction, as prescribed by The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015;

2. To note the comments and recommendations of Regulatory Committee of 2 March 2020 regarding this proposed Article 4 Direction;

3. To adopt the justification herein provided to support the making of an Article 4 Direction to remove Office (B1a) to Residential (C3) Permitted Development Rights within Growth Areas, and Metropolitan and District Centres;

4. To approve the making of a non-immediate Article 4 Direction removing permitted development rights for Office (B1a) to Residential (C3) changes of use within Growth Areas, and Metropolitan and District Centres as identified on the Haringey adopted Policies Map as set out in Appendices A and B.

5. To authorise the Director for Housing, Regeneration & Planning to carry out the necessary publicity, notification, consultation and subsequent decision on whether to confirm the Direction, as prescribed by The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.

Reasons for decision

The Council’s employment planning policies are based on robust evidence which establishes a need to protect employment uses to ensure vitality and viability of the borough’s economy. The permitted development rights undermine the operation of these policies and impact negatively on the provision of employment space and jobs.

The making and confirming of a new Article 4 Direction to restrict offices being converted to homes without Planning Permission in key areas of the Borough will result in some significant benefits. This includes the ability to properly assess any proposals against the Council’s Development Plan with regards to employment and town centre priorities, the quantum and demand for Office floorspace, and any impact on key business sectors to ensure any proposal doesn’t harm the local economy. It will also enable the Council to utilise a Plan Led approach underpinned by robust evidence to come to decisions on such proposals.

Alternative Options Considered

The alternative options available to the Council are: to do nothing; to introduce a Borough wide Article 4 Direction; or, to extend the proposed coverage of the Article 4 Direction to designated Employment Land. The Council could also make the Article 4 Direction immediate rather than non-immediate.

The do-nothing approach has been discounted due to the harm the Permitted Development right is having as outlined in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 201