Focus Group
London Borough Planners Focus Group Meeting: Planning deregulation in London
Date and Time: 28 June 2016 17:00 – 18:00
Location: New Academic Building Room NAB 8.03
Attendee list
Sakiba Gurda – Islinghton
Paul Simmons – Westminster
Jennifer Watson – Westminster
Mark Dorfman – Mark Dorfman Consulting Ltd
Nancy Holman – LSE
Alessandra Mossa – LSE
Alan Mace – LSE
Fanny Blanc – LSE
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The deregulation of planning controls is often presented as a panacea that will help increase housing supply and give individuals more freedom to extract value from their property or properties. From the streamlining of planning regulation to the government’s red tape challenge, the answer to the provision of better outcomes for society appears to be – let the market decide. But is it always best or desirable to allow the market to arbitrate collective values? Is planning deregulation necessarily the answer? We discussed this with some London practitioners through the use of two case studies: the extension of Permitted Development Rights that allows office to residential conversions and the partial deregulation of planning controls on short-term letting.