Description
In England, it has been possible since 2013 to convert an office building into residential use without needing planning permission (as has been required since 1948). This book explores the consequences of this central government driven deregulation on local communities. The policy decision was primarily about boosting the supply of housing, but reflects a broader neoliberal ideology which seeks to reform public planning in many countries to reduce perceived interference in free markets. Drawing on original research in the English local authorities of Camden, Croydon, Leeds, Leicester and Reading, the book provides a case study of the implementation of planning deregulation which demonstrates the lowering of standards in housing quality, the reduced ability of the local state to proactively steer development and plan for their places, and the transfer of wealth from the public to private spheres that has resulted. Comparative case studies from Glasgow and Rotterdam call into question the very need for the deregulation in the first place.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 The rise and rise of permitted development in England.- Chapter 2 Deregulation, neoliberalism and the planning system.- Chapter 3 The planning context for office-to-residential change of use.- Chapter 4 Understanding office-to-residential permitted development.- Chapter 5 Overview of office-to-residential conversion in England and our case studies.- Chapter 6 The Camden story: threatening the creative economy?.- Chapter 7 The Croydon story: slums of the future?.- Chapter 8 The Leeds story: city centre students and industrial estate living.- Chapter 9 The Leicester story: positive reuse or threatening an emerging private rental sector?.- Chapter 10 The Reading story: loss of affordable housing in the vibrant South East?.- Chapter 11 Alternative approaches to governing change of use: Scotland and the Netherlands.- Chapter 12 Conclusions and implications for future practice.
