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Put permitted development through the planning system, says NALC

 

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NALC disagrees with the Government’s recent announcement that businesses and homeowners can extend their homes without having to go through local planning departments (otherwise known as permitted development rights).

 

Recently, housing minister Kit Malthouse announced that ‘permitted development rights’ would be made permanent so that property owners would not have to battle through ‘time-consuming red tape’.  The Government has set itself punishing targets to build new housing and extend development.  These rights, which were introduced on a temporary basis in 2014, enable anyone wanting to build an extension to do so without planning permission from their local authority.

Whilst NALC is supportive of the need to provide more affordable social housing, it does not see permitted development rights as a positive move towards solving the nation’s most urgent housing need.  NALC agrees with the Local Government Association – from a planning authority perspective – that permitted development rights undermine local planning departments. 

Whilst local councils are not planning authorities NALC believes that planning permission should be gained in the usual way for such extensions from planning authorities (ideally giving local councils a consultation right, too).

Cllr Sue Baxter, NALC chairman said, “NALC is frankly surprised that the Government has so swiftly made permitted development rights permanent when they were only first introduced in 2014.  We support the LGA’s call for a full independent review to be carried out of the impact of this decision, both on any neighbouring residents and businesses of extended properties, consulting NALC, the LGA and their respective member councils.”

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