Property developers have used new freedoms to avoid planning permission to create flats that are no bigger than garden sheds, a government-sponsored report has concluded.
Five years ago ministers relaxed planning rules to allow developers to create homes in existing buildings such as offices, shops and warehouses without detailed planning permission.
A report commissioned by the housing ministry has concluded that many developers used the “permitted development” scheme to create properties far smaller than conventional conversions. Only 3.5 per cent of them had access to private outdoor space and some had no windows or very limited natural light because of “contrived layouts”.
Last year a Times investigation exposed landlords who had taken advantage of permitted development rules to make millions from converting offices into tiny
