Employment (B class) development 2011/2012 - 2018/2019
Prior approvals and permitted developments
12% of the approvals application data for changes to B1 floorspace were a result of prior approvals and permitted development to change the use of B1a office or B1c light industrial floorspace to residential. This has resulted in -16,502sqm of losses of B1 floorspace over the period 2011/2012 – 2018/2019.
Article 4 Directions in Southwark
Southwark Council has been proactive in restricting permitted development rights by implementing Article 4 Directions. However national planning guidance states these must be limited to situations where it is necessary to protect local amenity or the wellbeing of the area. As such it is difficult to implement borough wide restrictions on national permitted development rights. Southwark has an Article 4 Direction to restrict any conversions of office space in the Central Activity Zone, which covers the exemption that was previously applied by the General Permitted Development Order but then removed.
Southwark also has Article 4 Directions restricting the conversion of light industrial space in all of its protected industrial land and a number of other industrial estates around the borough, and an Article 4 Direction protecting all railway arches from conversion to residential from employment or other uses. Nevertheless there are still parts of the borough that can benefit from these permitted development rights regardless of planning policy. The council will keep evidence for further Article 4 Directions under review.
Page last updated: 19 December 2019
