Local MP puts pressure on Hounslow Council to use special powers to protect the Great West Road
Following a meeting with the Rt. Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Mary Macleod MP has put pressure on the London Borough of Hounslow to use special measures to protect the Great West Road as a business hub for West London.
Mary met with the Secretary of State to discuss the impact of changes to permitted development rights in the Hounslow Borough.
She and local businesses fear that failure by Hounslow Council to guarantee an exemption will seriously endanger West London’s ability to act as a business hub. Pickles advised that the only way to protect this area is in the form of an Article 4 Direction.
Mary commented:
“We need to maintain the unique nature of the Golden Mile in attracting businesses to West London. If offices are converted into residential sites, I fear that existing businesses may even migrate out of the Borough. I would urge the Council to immediately initiate an Article 4 Direction to allow this part of West London be retained as a business hub.”
Mary was recently named London’s new Small Business Ambassador by Prime Minister David Cameron and is working with him and his team to help the Government support small businesses across London.
Mary continued:
“As one of the Prime Minister’s advisors on businesses across London, I feel it is vital that areas like the Great West Road are preserved as business hubs. I am proud to represent an area with one of the fastest business growth rates in the country and we must work to protect that unique status.”
Ministerial Statement released by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon. Eric Pickles MP on May 9th 2013, entitled "Planning: Re-use of buildings":
“New permitted development rights will allow change of use from offices B1(a) to homes (C3) to provide new homes in existing buildings. This gives a clear signal to owners, developers and local planning authorities that we want underused and outdated offices to be brought back to life, and provides an excellent opportunity to create much needed new homes.
We recognised that there may be exceptional economic circumstances which would justify exemptions. Following a thorough assessment of cases submitted, this change will not apply to areas in 17 local authorities, as set out in the secondary legislation.”
The new permitted development rights, which came into force on 30th May, mean that developers are able to change use of a building from offices to homes without planning permission.
Article 4 Direction: Department for Communities and Local Government Replacement Appendix D to Department of the Environment Circular 9/95: General Development Consolidation Order 1995 (978 0117531024)
November 2010
Article 4 directions are one of the tools available to local planning authorities in responding to the particular needs of their areas. They do this by allowing authorities to withdraw the ‘permitted development’ rights that would otherwise apply by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 as amended (the ‘GPDO’). An article 4 direction does not prevent the development to which it applies, but instead requires that planning permission is first obtained from the local planning authority for that development.