The Government is consulting on proposals to allow shops and agricultural buildings to be converted to residential use.

The consultation seeks views on 5 proposals for permitted development rights to be changed to allow:

• shops and financial and professional services to change use to residential
• existing builsings used for agricultural purposes of up to 150 square metres to change to residential use
• retail uses to change to banks and building societies only
• premises usd as offices, hotels, residential and non-residential institutions, and leisure and assembly to be able to change use to nurseries providing childcare
• a building used for agricultural purposes of upto 500 sqaure metres to be used as a new state funded school or a nursery providing childcare

The consultation document can be found here, the consultation finishes on 15th October