Reigate and Banstead Borough Council is to lobby the government to change a controversial law which allows the creation of homes from redundant office blocks without recourse to normal planning standards.
Richard Biggs, councillor in charge of planning policy, has said he is "disappointed" by recent schemes, such as the creation of up to 125 one-bedroom flats planned at Quadrant House in Redhill– which do not meet national minimum space requirements.
A dossier of the "worst examples" is being drawn up and will be presented to MPs, he said.
Ruth Ritter, Green Party councillor for Earlswood and Whitebushes, told a full council meeting on Thursday, January 16 that permitted development rights (PDR), the rules under which such schemes are allowed, are "dangerous".
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She said: "There are now two major residential developments under way in Redhill, at Quadrant House in Princess Way and Furness House in Brighton Road, where 71 flats are being created, converting offices to residential units under PDR.
"These do not have to comply with normal planning conditions regarding nationally described space standards, affordability, contributions to Community Infrastructure Levy funding, amenity, or energy efficiency standards.
"Given that these conversions bypass the normal planning system – which means bypassing many of the standards that exist to protect housing quality – and that, far from curtailing PDR, the Government has recently consulted on extending it to other types of change of use and upward extensions, will the council be lobbying the new government to change the rules and end this dangerous policy?"
The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for the permitted development rules to be scrapped.
Cllr Biggs told the meeting: "We have consistently objected to government consultations relating to the roll-out of new permitted developments – these rules allowing offices to convert to housing without any scrutiny by the local planning authority – and we will continue to raise objections in the future.
"I was also disappointed to learn of the latest office to residential conversions in Redhill, particularly at Quadrant House. On the back of that the chairman of planning, together with officers, has met with local MPs to highlight this issue.
"They have prepared a dossier of some of the worst examples including some from this borough in order to bring MPs' attention to the concerns of the executive. The leader [Mark Brunt] has also raised the issue with the chair of the LGA and our MP."
