Now that General Permitted Development Order has been made a permanent fixture D&S look at the policy and its impact in more detail.
Following the success of the relaxation of Permitted Development Rights (PDR) to allow for conversion from some commercial uses to residential, the government announced in its March budget that the changes made in 2013 will be permanent. The introduction of permitted development was led by two driving forces; a chronic lack of housing and an overabundance of office space. This…