Michael Gove to ease planning regulations in city centres to foster the creation of additional housing units.
In an attempt to increase housing availability in the urban centres of England, Michael Gove plans to loosen planning regulations. As the levelling up secretary, he aims to simplify the process of converting vacant retail spaces and betting shops into residential properties.
This move coincides with Rishi Sunak's assurance that his party will fulfil its promise of constructing one million homes before the upcoming 2024 election.
A recent report from the Commons housing committee indicated that while the government is on track to meet the one million homes target, they are not expected to fulfil their commitment to delivering 300,000 new homes annually by the mid-2020s.
As a component of the government’s strategy to increase housing stock, he expressed his desire to streamline the process of transforming shops, takeaways, and betting shops into residential properties.
Certain commercial premises can currently be converted into homes without the need for planning permission, operating under the "permitted development rights" laws. In the years 2021-2022, over 10,000 properties, including former offices, were successfully converted into homes through this provision.
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