Wales must follow England in relaxing planning rules for town centres

The UK government has already made significant changes to planning regulations in England to make it easier to change of the use of commercial properties in town centres and Wales needs to follow suit, according to Doug Hughes, Managing Director and Principal Architect at Hughes Architects,

Mr Hughes, who has offices in Welshpool and Newtown said that the reduced number of classes of use in England allows greater flexibility in the use of commercial premises without the need for planning approval. He said similar changes should be introduced in Wales to ensure buildings in town centres could be re-purposed faster.

“In September last year the UK government implemented changes in England to the use class system. This included a new Class E which brings together a variety of uses for a building under a single class, instead of multiple classes.

“It means it is much easier for town centre commercial properties to be adapted quickly for a new business as planning permission is not needed. Previously, changing from retail to a restaurant, or an office to a fitness centre meant applying for change of use through the planning system. Now, when one business moves out, another in a previously different class can quickly and easily move in, ensuring the building remains in commercial use without long delays.”

“This would make a huge difference in market towns and larger towns in Wales where there are many different types of commercial buildings in mixed use. Retail and other sectors are being hit hard during the Covid-19 pandemic. We need to support our town centres to remain vibrant places. This is one way of ensuring that,” said Mr Hughes.

“It’s imperative that the Welsh Government and local authorities acts quickly to protect our commercial town centres and their economies. In turn, this will support the wider communities, both economically and socially. There is no time to waste.” said Mr Hughes.