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

To ask Her Majesty's Government for how long buildings and workshops with planning permission for light industrial use must be (1) in existence, and (2) used for such purposes, before they may be converted for residential use.

Local planning authorities are required to determine planning applications for development in accordance with their Local Plan, national policy and other material considerations.

The temporary national permitted development right for the change of use of light industrial buildings to residential use requires the building to have been in light industrial use on 19 March 2014, and if not in use on that date for light industry to have been the last use. There are no requirements in respect of how long the building must have been in that use. The right does not apply to buildings whose use for light industrial use commenced after 19 March 2014.