The UK government believes their planning system should offer a supply of land for residential use. They believe and recognize there are going to be changes in the residential and commercial area, and the government is willing to support and recognize these changes and respond to them. Their desire is to respond to the social changes, whether it is land for commercial or residential growth. It is the goal of the UK Government to make land for commercial use interchangeable to residential use without going through a long planning process. These changes would make the process easier.
The UK Government in general is calling upon individual communities to loosen the barriers in their local sectors to encourage commercial and or residential growth in order to make the best use of land. They are asked to take the barriers down that block citizens from residential use, because that particular sector is zoned commercial. Community governments are asking that they be liberal so that citizens can realize the need for an increased housing supply. By communities unleashing commercial lands where vacant buildings stand, lands can be redeveloped, allowing for housing shortages in commercial areas to become residential. The UK Government is saying that this will also promote renovation of these empty commercial sites bringing these buildings back to life.
In the end these changes allows licenses to change from commercial or B use classes to residential C3 class use. This will allow permitted sectors the right to change from commercial to residential use without going through a process of applications for planning. These new proposals relate to England only. Communities are welcomed to consult the township governments of the specific authorities for local planning, developers of housing sites and renovations of old building in order to promote lucrative businesses once again. These consultations are of public interest and the government encourages public input and encourages anyone to respond to these changes. The duration of these consultations is April 8, 2011 and ended June 30, 2011.
The reason for these commercial/residential changes is due to the urgency to increase land for the building of homes in England. The demand for homes is and continues to increase dramatically. England has not kept in step with the housing needs of its citizens as the population in England continues to grow. Homes are not being built to meet the public demand for increases in populations. If the growth rate in England continues on the current path, the population is expected to grow to over 230,000 people every year. Land for housing needs to be increased through the lands from closed businesses. Land is currently not targeted towards the public demand.
What Action is the Government of England Expected to Take?
. Imitated New Homes Bonus
. New neighbourhood plans
. Homes and Community Agency is to research how new land for housing can be obtained through publicly owned land.
. Commitment to reduce regulation on the builders of new homes
. Working to make the planning system simpler
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