Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of giving local planning authorities the right to reject conversions from (a) retail and (b) office buildings to residential buildings on the basis of the location of those buildings.

The permitted development right for the change of use from the Commercial, Business and Service use class allows local planning authorities to consider the effect on future residents of residential use in an area of heavy industry, storage and distribution, waste management or a mix of such uses.

In addition it allows for consideration of the implications of noise from commercial premises for the intended occupiers, and in conservation areas allows for consideration of the effect of the change of use of the ground floor to residential on the character or sustainability of that area. The authority may refuse prior approval if these are unacceptable.