It has been a week since the publication of the 2023 Autumn Statement and amongst efforts to reduce debt and boost the economy, a new planning consultation was revealed. We do not have much information but we do know that the consultation will be published in early 2024 and focus on permitted development rights. In particular, whether permitted development rights should be introduced “to enable one house to be converted into two homes” and "to end the blanket restriction on heat pumps one metre from a property boundary in England”. 

You may recall that a consultation was published earlier this year seeking views on a plethora of permitted development rights.  These included the change of use to dwellinghouses from a multitude of uses, including hotels and agricultural buildings. The consultation response is awaited. 

The expansion of permitted development rights seems to be one way in which the Government plans on easing the burden on the planning system to ensure more houses are built in the quickest time possible. 

It will be interesting to see how all this plays out, and what rights will actually come forward.  Watch this space…