Residential conversions - Queen's Speech promises further relaxations

The government has romised to introduce new flexibilities into change of use rules. The press pack accompanying the text of the Queen's Speech at the opening of Parliament on the 4th June included the following: Amend secondary legislation to further reform change of use rules to make it easier for empty and redundant buildings to be converted into productive use, supporting brownfield regeneration and increase the supply of new homes There is no more detail for now and the measures can be assumed to cover changes between commercial uses not just conversions of commercial to residential use. Options that have been touted previously include "prior consent" for conversion of a wider range of use classes to residential. The outright permission to convert upper floors in some commercial use classes to two dwellings might be changed to allow more units; or again this might be widened to more use classes. Practitioners involved in enabling activiites that involve conversion will await the further details with interest. There were no other changes flagged up that seemed to be relevant to empty homes work. You can find the full text of the Queen's Speech and the Background Notes here.