New planning rules will help support the creation of homes while also giving high streets a new lease of life – removing eyesores, transforming unused buildings and making the most of brownfield land
The package also introduces a new fast track for extending public service buildings. New planning rules allow for bigger extensions to existing public buildings including schools, colleges, universities and hospitals.
This will help deliver more classrooms and hospital space by enabling them to extend further and faster, as we emerge from the pandemic.
The new homes will be delivered through a simpler ‘prior approval’ process instead of a full planning application and will be subject to high standards, ensuring they provide adequate natural light and meet space standards.
The changes mean they would be able to extend further and faster, helping to quickly deliver more classrooms and hospital space.
This will mean that vital public buildings will be expanded more quickly through the planning system with a faster, more streamlined planning process.
This announcement supports a series of recent measures introduced to help high streets recover once lockdown restrictions are lifted which include:
- £56m Welcome Back Fund to help boost the look and feel of high streets and seaside towns
- Relaxation of planning rules to allow pubs and restaurants to operate as takeaways.
- Planning freedoms to allow outdoor markets, marquees, pop-up summer fairs without the need of a planning application.
- Longer opening hours for retail to give shoppers more flexibility and ease transport pressures
- Extension of provisions for temporary pavement licences to facilitate alfresco dining.
Encouraging the regeneration
Robert 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 public also want improvements to public services as quickly as possible and so these changes will also help schools and hospitals to adapt quickly to changing needs with a new fast track for extending public service buildings.
“This will help deliver more classrooms and hospital space by helping them extend further and faster.”
