Closed petition Debate the impact of permitted development rights (office to resi conversions).

Closed on 6 November 2019

Permitted development rights allow developers to convert office buildings to housing without planning permission. Bypassing national and local policy and standards, many of these new homes lack space and daylight, raising urgent questions about their fitness for human habitation.

The Government has promised not to sacrifice quality for quantity but these conversions have resulted in the smallest new housing built with permission in this country. Professional bodies and the press have exposed flats of 13m2 and others without external windows, often in wholly unsuitable locations such as industrial parks and alongside major roads. Residents include vulnerable people and families, whose mental and physical health is at risk. It has become a matter of huge public concern.