The plans, which are in March’s Budget, would let developers convert commercial buildings into residential without the need for planning permission. Many offices are lying empty because of the complexity of the planning system, according to Pickles.
According to government statistics, London and the East Midlands have the most vacant office space that could be converted and the greatest need for new housing.
Both regions have a long-term vacancy rate of 11 per cent, which translates into approximately 76,000 offices. The North East, in contrast, has a long-term vacancy rate of just seven per cent.
Mr Pickles said: “Many towns and cities have office blocks, warehouse and business parks needlessly lying empty, while housebuilding has fallen to the lowest in peacetime history because the planning system has tied developers up in knots of red tape.
“By unshackling developers from a legacy of bureaucratic planning, we can help them turn thousands of vacant commercial properties into enough new homes to jump-start housing supply and help get the economy back on track.”
Up to 250,000 new homes could become available if all the long-term vacant office space in the UK were converted the statistics show. Additionally, approximately GBP 140 million could be saved by cutting down on the bureaucracy involved.
Of the 129,000 new homes built last year, only 2.8 per cent came from office space being converted.
However, some have reacted to the plans by accusing the government of pandering to private investors. Additionally, the conversion of office space into residential space can entail a large amount of renovation, such as sound-proofing and insulation.
Also, questions about whether converting old buildings is more environmentally friendly than new-build have also been raised.
Editor’s notes: In May 2022, it was reported that there was a spike in the number of applications to convert office buildings into residential dwellings.
Construction News reported that data Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities showed that 2,119 bids were made the previous year to use permitted development rights allowing buildings to be switched from workplaces to residences – this was the highest number since 2017.