Decision details

(1)     An Article 4 Direction covering the most strategically important office sites in the Borough was issued for a six week public consultation which would remove permitted development rights that currently allowed the change of use of B1 office buildings to C3 residential use without the need for planning permission and instead protect those sites for on-going employment use on the basis that they would only be allowed to be converted to residential use if they secured planning permission from the Council or the Planning Inspectorate via appeal.

(2)     The results of the consultation process would be reported back to the Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel with the aim that the Article 4 Direction was recommended to the Cabinet for adoption once a period of twelve months had passed to allow any compensation claims to fall away.