Mayor Boris Johnson is seeking exemption for large parts of central London from new legislation making it easier to convert offices to residential use. Deputy Mayor for planning, Edward Lister, confirmed that Johnson will be asking for an exemption for the city’s central activities zone.
This includes Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Lambeth. The City of London has already stated its intention to seek exemption amid fears that large swathes of office stock could be lost. Johnson will also support other London authorities bidding for exemption.
“We are worried about the central activities zone, which is the core of commercial operations in London. The new rules could drive offices out of Mayfair if we are not careful,” Lister said.
Despite concerns about the impact of the legislation in these districts, Lister stressed that he supported the legislation and urged other boroughs to be realistic about the situation. “The office market has moved on,” he said.
Planning Minister Nick Boles has made it clear that the government will listen to ‘good arguments’ from local authorities seeking exemption.
“The one everyone has talked about is the City of London but that’s by no means the only one,” he said.
Furthermore, it is believed that councils can exempt themselves from the change of use plans by using Article Four Directions which withdraw permitted development rights.
Whether any authorities choose to take this route remains to be seen as they could find themselves open to compensation claims from landlords whose planning applications are rejected.
Outside the capital, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and Bristol are also reported to be considering appeals for exemption.
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