Croydon prepares Business Rates Autonomy bid and Permitted Development Crackdown

Posted on 15 October, 2014 by Neil Bird

Croydon has called for greater business rates autonomy to support its plans to transform the London borough into a premier office location.

Croydon - View of the outbound road of the modern city

The council hopes to create close to 3 million sq ft of Grade A office space in a bid to attract tech and creative firms to the borough. The local authority’s Growth Zone strategy also includes the £1 billion Westfield retail development and plans for up to 9,500 new homes.

To help fund the ambitious proposals, the council is calling for increased fiscal powers which would allow the borough to keep a greater share of the money raised through stamp duty and business rates.

Croydon is not alone in seeking autonomy. Boris Johnson has called for greater fiscal freedom for London and, this week, the Society of London Treasurers published a report containing similar recommendations.

“This proposal doesn’t ask for government handouts but is based on setting boroughs free to support local growth,” said Brent director of finance, Chris Naylor.

“At the moment there are fiscal Berlin walls around London boroughs preventing us from investing together and sharing both risk and opportunity.”

Croydon council is also poised to take on Eric Pickles over the offices to homes scheme. Since failing in its appeal for exemption, the borough has seen a substantial amount of office space converted to residential accommodation, much of which was described in a recent report as ‘substandard’.

Consequently the council has given notice to the Local Government Minister that, from September 2015, it intends to introduce Article 4 powers revoking permitted development rights.

Councillor Alison Butler, cabinet member for homes and regeneration, explained the local authority’s decision. “We want to give certainty to investors and developers about our support for office developments,” she said.

“While we are committed to providing new homes for residents, this is not at any cost. We are determined that all our homes, from whatever sector, should be decent and fit for purpose.

“In addition, the loss of office space is also resulting in a loss of jobs and opportunities for local people.”

The council has also announced the establishment of the Croydon Promise Delivery Board which has the responsibility of ensuring its regeneration plans are delivered.




Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Recent Posts

Interest Rates Impact on Commercial Property

Commercial Property Investment Outlook for 2023

The best places to stay on the Riviera

The latest property data has identified Newquay as the fastest property seller’s market in the UK

Investing in your garden can increase your property’s value

French Riviera temping high-end homebuyers

How can the ownership rights of my commercial property impact a business sale?

Should I incorporate virtual property viewings permanently?

Investment expected to increase across Asia-Pacific in 2021

UK property industry slows as the conclusion of tax break looms

BNP Paribas cautioned investors on Friday as debt-trading bonanza that increased its earnings this past year

Over 300,000 property purchases fell through in 2020 – we show the most frequent motives and the best way to get your house sale back on track

House Prices in the Capital Surpass £500,000

Optimism from the Bank of England’s chief economist

The most expensive commercial properties.

Businesses operating from shared premises will miss out on grants