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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of high streets becoming purely residential as a result of permitted development rights allowing residential use of high street buildings.

Permitted development rights for change of use are part of a package of measures brought forward to support the modernisation of our high streets, helping them adapt to provide for a mix of retail, leisure, community and residential uses.

The rights for change of use from shops and financial services to residential use are subject to prior approval by the local planning authority, allowing them to consider the impact of the proposed change of use on the sustainability of the town centre and on an adequate provision of retail services.