Having placed their faith in the private sector as the vehicle for the UK economy’s recovery, the Government seems to be insisting that the commercial property sector jump on board, with Government Minister Greg Clark in the driver’s seat.
The Planning Minister has unveiled a draft policy designed to give businesses a greater say in commercial property developments in local neighbourhoods.
Eight Business Neighbourhood Vanguards are due to be introduced across the UK, aimed at reducing red tape and promoting localism. Town planners will work alongside business owners and local residents, “shaping their neighbourhood together” by drawing up planning documents for regenerating local areas.
Key features of the Vanguards are expected to include: making it easier to change residential property to commercial property; removing the need to apply to the council for every building adaptation; fast-tracking applications needing local authority approval for developing areas of commercial property, e.g. business parks.
The announcement comes as amendments to the Localism Bill are made, aimed at decentralising power from Central Government. Fundamental to this change is granting local businesses access to Neighbourhood Forums. These are forums for neighbours to meet and discuss matters pertinent to their community. Anti-social behaviour, policing and schools are common topics, as is the subject of planning for new developments. Businesses will be encouraged to attend and offer their input with a view to setting up referendums on commercial property proposals. If passed, they may then be adopted by the council.
Three nominations for the Vanguards are in London: Bankside; South Bank and Waterloo; and the West End. Milton Keynes Central and Urban Extension complete the five Vanguards selected by the British Property Federation (BPF). The others, chosen by the British Chambers of Commerce, are Trafford Park in Manchester, Innovation Park in Liverpool and Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead.
Previous Post
Serviced Offices – A Global Perspective
