Permitted development homes could be uninhabitable
Insurer Zurich UK has warned that office-to-residential conversions introduced in 2013 must be done properly or they will be uninhabitable for the future. Housing does not need to meet building regulations where there is a ‘material change of use’. The report details the serious problems found. 89,500 homes have been developed from commercial buildings and the lifting of a size cap on office-to-residential conversions in March led to applications increasing by 20% in England in a year.
Only 5% of PRS listings affordable to low income households
Research as here on behalf of London Councils has shown that people on Local Housing Allowance cannot afford 95% of private rental homes in London.
Related to that, new analysis reveals that London boroughs collectively spent £1.6 billion on homelessness in the 2023-24 financial year, with £4 million a day allocated to temporary accommodation.
Solving the Housing Affordability Crisis
The government-commissioned report “The demand for housing as an investment: Drivers, outcomes and policy interventions to enhance housing affordability in the UK” written by Professor Josh Ryan-Collins of UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), calls for major reforms to the UK’s housing market to curb speculative investment demand and make homes more affordable.
Letter by planning Minister to RTPI
The Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook MP, has written to the President of the Royal Town Planning Institute to convey a clear message on behalf of government to professional planners on the vital role they have in building the homes we need.
Is Building on London’s Green Belt Inevitable?
Speakers:
- The Enfield Society’s Dave Cockle and John West
- Mike Kiely, Chair of the Planning Officers Society
- Samuel Watling, on behalf of PricedOut – a housing campaign charity
- Alice Roberts of CPRE London
A full report of the meeting is available here
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From Small Beginnings – The London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies
The first initiative to bring London-based amenity societies together as a federation was the brainchild of two prominent and environmentally-committed members of the Blackheath Society, Neil Rhind and Tony [more…]
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How Effective is Planning Enforcement?
📆 Mon 29th June | 18:30 - 20:30
🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
How can we make it work better? Planning enforcement is important. Unless it’s done effectively, the integrity of the whole planning system is put at risk. But it’s one of the most frustrating issues for civic societies and local community groups. We’ll discuss this and related issues at this Open Meeting on 29th June. Please book here ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/how-effective-is-planning-enforcement#booking ) Cases typically include: Large developments that grossly fail to meet planning conditions or even submitted drawings and plans; Illegal demolitions; Unauthorised residential alterations and extensions; Additional floors…