Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the rate of office-to-residential asset conversions to accelerate the delivery of social housing.
Under nationally set permitted development rights a wide range of commercial buildings such as offices and shops are able to change use to residential without the need for a planning application.
The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.