It continues to support having greater flexibility on the
high street, with permitted development rights for shops to offices likely to be
introduced (but giving prior approval discretion to halt changes that would hurt the town centre’s
vitality). The possibility of
upward extensions to allow housing above shops is still ‘on the cards’ though
needs more thought. A similar, though
possibly more luke-warm response, was also given to whether the replacement of
commercial buildings with residential development should be introduced (or is this simply being kicked into the long grass?). The permitted development rights for larger residential
extensions is to be continued – but with a fee requirement to help cover local
Council’s costs. The temporary permitted
development rights for B8 storage to housing are to end.
Somehow this feels a bit like tracking the local council
election results – who’s in, who’s out and which area needs a
recount! At the moment the Dorset
results are showing a Conservative majority (with 24 of the 82 seats declared) –
but still plenty to speculate about.
