Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on the housing market of the expiration of permitted development rights in May 2016; and if he will make a statement.

The office to residential permitted development rights were introduced in May 2013 for a three year period. Our intention in bringing forward this relaxation was that it would act as a stimulus to economic growth and provide new homes. Use of the new right suggests there is great interest from owners and developers in undertaking residential conversions of office accommodation.

I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2015, Official Report, Columns 131-138WS, (HCWS488), where we said that we would keep under review the case for extending the office to residential permitted development right, which is helping provide much needed new homes on brownfield land. This remains the case.