Sadly, thanks to incompetent rules brought in by Eric Pickles in 2013, this conversion may not even need planning permission - until 2016 developers can use "permitted rights" to convert office space into residential. It's a great idea in theory, the idea being to get disused office space back into use. In practice though it's being used to thwart town planning and the like. For example, the office I'm typing this in is one of 30-odd in this building where the small businesses are being thrown out so the owner can instead make a few millions selling rabbit-hutch apartments. Resulting in a high street that's even less diverse, with fewer job opportunities, and even more of a dormitory. Over in Hackney, an unsavoury developer is using the same rules to spite local residents and the local planners who have refused him permission to destroy their much-loved local pub (Chesham Arms) and turn it into apartments. It gives him the ability to have people living there until 2016, even though he only has temporary permission to use it as offices. Clearly he hopes for a fait accomplis. What a mess. Thank you Eric Pickles.
Bryan Betts ● 4023d