Gove announces plans to make home extensions and loft conversions easier

Michael Gove plans to cut red tape to pave the way for home extensions and store-to-home conversions as part of efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

As part of the plans to be presented on Monday, the Housing The minister said that new rules will be developed that will give more freedom to expand properties and open lofts.

Officials said the proposals would allow families to expand their homes as their families grow, while still protecting the interests of their neighbors.

New flexibilities will be introduced to allow shops, takeaways and betting shops to be converted into residential accommodation, Mr Gove says Britain must “make better use of the buildings we already have.”

The Department for Upgrading, Housing and Communities said the proposals to relax the rules on the use of retail space were aimed at helping to rejuvenate high streets and provide greater housing density in city centres, rather than encouraging urban sprawl.

Lisa NandyLabour’s shadow housing secretary said the announcement was a “drop in the bucket” that failed to address the scale of the housing shortage.

Mr Gove, speaking in London on a reform of national permitted development rights, is expected to announce that Britain’s Conservative government will cut red tape to allow barns to be converted and farm buildings to be repurposed.

Ahead of his speech, Mr Gove said: “Britain needs more homes to make more home ownership dreams come true and to increase choice for renters.

“But they have to be the right type and directed to the right places.

“So we have to build more in the places that make sense—in our cities, so that we protect our countryside.

“And we need to make better use of the buildings we already have – empty shops and offices cannot gather dust while we urgently need more homes.

“That’s why we’re reviewing the rules around permitted development rights to make sure we can rebuild, build and grow.”

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Gove said his proposals would also include the creation of development corporations to unleash a wave of new homes in cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

Councils will be given the opportunity to bid to set up government-backed bodies that will have the power to use compulsory purchase orders to buy land and sell parts of it to developers to build new homes.

Inspired by the regeneration created in east London by the Docklands Development Corporation in the 1980s, Mr Gove said his plans were to start a “21st century renaissance for our big cities”.

The announcement comes just two weeks after a cross-party group of MPs warned Tory ministers were unlikely to deliver 300,000 new homes a year after making the target advisory rather than binding.

prime minister Rishi Sunak decided to downgrade the target in December as he anticipated a potential conservative uprising.

The Betterment, Housing and Communities Committee, in a report published earlier this month, said an inquiry into the policy change found the six-figure target would be “unachievable” by the mid-2020s.

Clive Betts, chairman of the Labor committee, said Mr Sunak’s decision had “already had a damaging effect on efforts to increase new house building”.

Labour’s Nandy has already announced plans to ease building on unsightly parts of the green belt if party leader Sir Keir Starmer is elected prime minister at the next election in 2024.

Sir Keir also pledged to rebuild 300,000 homes.

Responding to Mr Gove’s statement, Ms Nandy said: “Britain desperately needs more homes, but another review is a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed to solve the housing crisis.

“We don’t need more reviews or press releases, we need bold action to get Britain building.

“That is why Labor has set out plans to reform the planning system to build the homes we need.

“We will restore housebuilding targets, reform compulsory purchase rules and take tough choices to support builders, not blockers.”