Offices to flats? That will be £80 please and no affordables or S106

An article in today’s Evening Standard says that, from 1 June this year, developers can turn offices into homes without obtaining planning permission.  All it will take is a “prior approval” notice that will cost £80.  There will be no requirement for S106 payments or affordable housing provision and anyone affected has 56 days to object but after that the work will be allowed to start if the local authority decides that objections are not sustainable.

Any block of offices can be converted as long as it is not listed, not on a floodplain and not used to store explosives!  Normally planning permission would take about 18 months but it is anticipated that it will take only 8 weeks under this system.  All work must be completed by May 2016.

But what about the infrastructure that might need to go with the change – contribution to education, new roads, doctor and dentist facilities for example – tough, there is no obligation to provide any.