A number of immediate changes have been made to the Town and Country Planning General Permitted Development Order (2015) since March 2020, partly in response to the COVID-19 situation and partly to reflect the Government’s commitment to increasing the delivery of new homes.

The first update was made on 23 March 2020, in order to allow for restaurants, cafes and drinking establishments to temporarily provide takeaway food (from 24 March 2020 until 23 March 2021).

The second update made on 7 April 2020, created a new Class A within a new Part 12A of the Order, allowing for emergency development by a local authority or health service body until 31 December 2020. After this date, any buildings and plant created, are required to be removed within 12 months of the cease of use.

The third and most significant change announced on 23 June 2020 was in relation to Part 20 Class A to allow for the addition of up to two storeys to the top of purpose-built detached blocks of flats.  Such proposals are subject to certain restrictions including the building being built between 1 July 1948 and 5 March 2018 and not being a listed building or in a conservation area. Applications for this new development are by way of prior notification.

In addition, from 31 August 2020, the scope to develop additional storeys for residential purposes, has been extended to include, under Class AA, the enlargement of a dwelling house by up to two additional storeys. In addition, Classes AB, AC and AD allow for the construction of up to two additional storeys on terraced or semi-detached properties in commercial or mixed use. All are subject to prior approval applications and a number (thirteen) of prior approval matters apply.