The Housing Forum has joined with others across the sector to send an open letter on permitted development rights to the Secretary of State.
Just shy of 28,000 desperately needed affordable homes have not been delivered in the past 11 years due to office-to-residential conversions under PDR – the equivalent of one in every five households currently living in temporary accommodation having a permanent, affordable home. At a time when 131,000 households, including a record 169,000 children, are without a secure place to live, this is indefensible.
Since PDR was introduced in 2013, more than 110,000 homes have been created this way, bypassing the planning process. This prevents councils from securing contributions towards affordable housing, local infrastructure, or ensuring homes are high-quality, climate-resilient and well-located. Communities lose twice: on the quality and suitability of the homes, and on the schools, transport, green spaces and health services that make neighbourhoods thrive.
Councils are at the sharp end of the housing and homelessness crisis, with over 1.3 million households on social housing waiting lists. Last year, councils spent almost £2.3 billion on temporary accommodation, an unsustainable diversion of resources from building the genuinely affordable homes that prevent homelessness. Every affordable home not delivered because of PDR is a missed opportunity to reduce that bill, give families stability, and create stronger, more resilient communities.
You can read the letter here.
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A Quality Home for All
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