Package of measures to revitalise high streets

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced a package of measures to revitalise England’s cherished high streets and town centres.

The new rules allowing commercial premises to be converted into homes will help support the creation of much-needed homes while also giving high streets a new lease of life – removing eyesores, transforming unused buildings and making the most of brownfield land.

The government's package also introduces a new fast track for extending public service buildings, including bigger extensions to existing public buildings including schools, colleges, universities and hospitals. This will help deliver more classrooms and hospital space by enabling them to extend further and faster, as we emerge from the pandemic. 

This will mean that vital public buildings will be expanded more quickly through the planning system with a faster, more streamlined planning process.

Ministers hope that allowing unused commercial buildings to be changed into homes will encourage more people to live near local high streets and come to the area for work and leisure, helping cement our high streets and town centres in their rightful place at the heart of communities.

The new homes will be delivered through a simpler ‘prior approval’ process instead of a full planning application and will be subject to high standards, ensuring they provide adequate natural light and meet space standards.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: "We are creating the most small business friendly planning system in the world to provide the flexibility needed for high streets to bounce back from the pandemic. By diversifying our town and city centres and encouraging the conversion of unused shops into cafes, restaurants or even new homes, we can help the high street to adapt and thrive for the future.

"The public also want improvements to public services as quickly as possible and so these changes will also help schools and hospitals to adapt quickly to changing needs with a new fast track for extending public service buildings. This will help deliver more classrooms and hospital space by helping them extend further and faster."