The Committee considered a report on a consultation by the Government on changes to permitted development rights which had been launched on 25 July 2023 with a deadline for responses of 25 September 2023.  The report had appended the questions in the consultation, which proposed changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended, and covered the following areas:

·       changes to certain permitted development rights that allow for some commercial buildings to change to dwellinghouses - Class MA – Use Class E to residential – also Class M & N

·       changes to certain permitted development rights that allow easier agricultural diversification and development on agricultural units – Class Q.& Class R

·       changes to certain permitted development rights that allow for non-domestic extensions and the erection of new industrial and warehouse buildings

·       changes to the permitted development right that allows for the temporary use of land to allow markets to operate for more days

·       changes to the existing permitted development right that allows for the erection, extension or alteration of schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and closed prisons to also apply to open prisons

·       the application of local design codes to certain permitted development rights

An update report was tabled at the meeting which contained proposed responses prepared by officers to the questions in the consultation on topics relevant to Reading.

Resolved –

That the responses to the consultation questions set out in the update report be agreed.