Out-Law News 1 min. read
14 Aug 2015, 11:07 am
Last year, Croydon Council issued an Article 4 direction to remove the permitted development right for change of use from office to residential. Following public consultation, the Council confirmed the Article 4 direction and it is due to come into effect on 10 September 2015. After this date, anyone who wishes to convert an office to residential dwelling will need to submit a full planning application.
The Council advised that all permitted development applications should be received by 16 July 2015, leaving the required 56 days to determine such application. The Council received the developer's applications on 15 July 2015.
The applicant has made four separate applications, two applications for Lunar House and two applications for Apollo House.
The first application for Lunar House is to convert the office space to 904 one bedroom apartments. A second application has also been lodged to convert Lunar House to 607 units with a mix of one and two bedroom apartments.
The developer's first application for Apollo House is to convert the space to 417 one bedroom flats and a second application is to convert it to 333 one and two bedroom units.
If the Council grants the planning applications, the redevelopment has the potential to deliver over 1,000 new homes to the area.
Planning expert Alexis Coleman of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said: "A last minute rush of applications is always to be expected ahead of a change in policy or legislation, and the same is to be anticipated where permitted development rights are to be withdrawn."
"The Council now has to consider transport and highways impacts of the development in deciding whether to grant approval. If approved, the developer will have to move quickly in order to crystallise the permitted development rights before 30 May 2016, when the rights cease to be available, although there is talk about the use of such rights being extended," said Coleman.