More than 18,000 affordable houses have been lost as a result of office-to-residential conversions under permitted development.
Since 2015, 73,575 new homes have been converted from offices under permitted development rights, where full planning permission is not required.
The LGA believes that permitted development rights should be removed to ensure all conversions and new developments contribute to the delivery of desperately needed affordable homes across the country.
It also says that developments that go through the planning system are subject to more stringent quality assurance, subsequently improving the overall quality of housing on offer – a key priority in the levelling up White Paper.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s Housing Spokesperson, said: “Councils will continue to play a key role in helping the nation to level up and recover from the pandemic, and that includes meeting our joint ambition with government to tackle the housing shortage and build the homes we desperately need.
“There is a need for more affordable housing across the country, but, regrettably, premises such as offices, agricultural buildings, shops, restaurants and light industry can now be converted into houses without the need to provide any affordable homes.
“Giving planning powers back to councils will also support local ambitions to revive and reimagine high streets and town centres.
“A local, plan-led system is crucial in delivering on levelling up ambitions to ensure councils can deliver the right types of homes in the right places with appropriate infrastructure. This will ensure a mix of high-quality affordable housing that meets the needs of local communities, while giving those communities the opportunity to shape and define the area they live in.”
