Offices to become houses in government plans
Monday, 11 April 2011 3:22 PM
The government has outlined plans to convert unused offices into homes in a bid to combat the housing crisis.
The Department of Communities and Local Government points out that, in 2009-10, commercial properties suffered from a vacancy rate of between seven and nine per cent on average.
Meanwhile, fewer residential properties were completed than in any peacetime year since the mid-1920s.
Of the 129,000 completions, fewer than three per cent – or about 3,600 – were accounted for by buildings previously used as offices.
Now communities secretary Eric Pickles is looking to reduce the red tape associated with changing the mode of interior space.
"By unshackling developers from a legacy of bureaucratic planning we can help them turn thousands of vacant commercial properties into enough new homes to jumpstart housing supply and help get the economy back on track," he said.
As many as 250,000 new homes could be created simply by converting office space that is currently available and has stood empty for a long time.
The boundaries between residential and commercial zones have become increasingly blurred already in recent years, with mixed-mode developments placing apartments over supermarkets and food outlets in many areas of the country.
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