A petition calling for the end of office-to-residential conversions has topped 1,000 signatures, with support from leading industry figures.
Julia Park, head of housing research at Levitt Bernstein, started the petition with an open letter to prime minister Boris Johnson, calling for an end to the “hobbit homes”.
The petition asks the government to debate controversial permitted development rights, which allow conversion of office buildings for residential development with no requirement for size or design standards, or contribution to infrastructure or affordable homes.
The petition states: “Bypassing national and local policy and standards, many of these new homes lack space and daylight, raising urgent questions about their fitness for human habitation.”
It has been publicly endorsed by a number of companies and industry experts, including RIBA president Ben Derbyshire.
Derbyshire said: “The government’s current permitted development rules are quite frankly appalling. Evidence clearly shows that office-to-residential conversions, under current regulations, result in poor-quality housing that sidesteps standards put in place to ensure people are able to lead healthy lives.”
He added: “We will continue to make a strong case against the current policy.”
The petition comes just weeks after Johnson’s appointment as prime minister, with a new cabinet including Robert Jenrick as housing secretary and Esther McVey as housing minister.
In 2015, as mayor of London, Johnson introduced internal space standards of 37 sq m. This followed years of campaigning and a 2009 visit to Croydon, where he called for an end to indecent homes.
At the time, Johnson said: “For too long we have built homes to indecently poor standards – fit neither for Bilbo Baggins nor his hobbit friends – and that is indefensible.”
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