How to breathe life into High St? Turn shops into FLATS
A New drive to revitalise high streets and towns centres hollowed out by the Covid lockdowns is under way.
Planning restrictions will be relaxed so that empty shops can be turned into homes, cafes or restaurants more easily.
housing Secretary robert Jenrick, says full planning applications will no longer be required to convert unused retail premises for residential use.
It will also become easier to change the use of empty business spaces into cafes or restaurants.
the package of panning measures will also introduce a ‘ fast track’ scheme for extending public buildings, such as schools, colleges and hospitals.
these are currently allowed to build small extensions without the need for full planning applications, but the new rules will take this process further and faster with a more streamlined system .
the Ministry of housing, Communities and Local Government says converting unused commercial buildings into homes will encourage more people to live near high streets and use the areas for both work and leisure.
It insists that homes built under the new system will be subject to high standards, ensuring that they provide adequate natural light and meet space standards. thousands of shops have shut during the past 12 months as the pandemic hugely accelerated changes already being forced on the high Street by the rise of online shopping.
Mr Jenrick said: ‘we are creating the most small-business friendly planning system in the world to provide the flexibility needed for high streets to bounce back from the pandemic. By diversifying our town and city centres and encouraging the conversion of unused shops into cafes, restaurants or even new homes, we can help the high street to adapt and thrive for the future.’
the government has also announced changes to permitted development regulations to ensure demolition of unlisted heritage assets, such as statues, memorials and monuments, must be approved by planners.
Other new measures include the amendment of existing permitted development rights for ports, so that they have the same freedoms as airports for undertaking development.