Brighton & Hove Council is the first UK local authority to challenge new legislation which allows vacant commercial property to be converted for residential use without the need for planning approval.
The new legislation came into force at the end of May (2013) and it will remain in place until it is reviewed by the next government in 2016. While more than 160 councils have applied for exemption, only 17 have been granted, eleven of which are located in London.
Brighton & Hove Council were among the rejected applicants. Fearing the change will effect the city negatively, the council is challenging the ruling, bringing forward an 'article 4' proposal that would protect central Brighton, the New England Quarter and the London Road Area from residential conversion.
Council leader Jason Kitcat said: “Central Brighton accounts for 32 per cent of the city’s stock of office space and the economic cost of losing even ten per cent of it could be equal to a loss or displacement of up to 700 office-based jobs, with an impact of £25.6 million gross value added a year."
Brighton & Hove currently has one of the fastest growing local economies in the south-east of England, with the local authority estimating that 20,000 jobs could be created over the next two decades. Half of these jobs are expected to be office-based, meaning that office supply in the city will be crucial. Mr Kitcat concludes that Brighton will end up becoming a "dormitory town" without avaliable office space for businesses in the future.