News PLANNING


EMPTYOFFICES Thegovernmenthas announced newpermitted development rights to allowoffice space to be converted into newhomes without the need for planning permissionfrom thelocal authority. Thenewplanningmeasures will


NEWFLATSFROM Flat owners are now


to getbetterprotection from‘rogue’agents


LEGISLATION


NEWACTGIVESFLAT OWNERSBETTERPROTECTION


Alastminuteamendment to the government’s newEnterprise and Regulatory Reform Act,which cameinto effect at the end of April,means that allproperty managers andlettingsagents must nowbelongtoanapproved redress scheme, or ombudsman, in the sameway thatmanaging agentswhoaremembersof ARMAdo. This will give landlords and tenants anofficial route for dealing with anycomplaints they mayhave. ARMAmembersare required


to subscribetoanOmbudsman schemeandsoshouldalready


CONSULTATION TOWERBLOCKFIREPROMPTSSAFETYRE-THINK


The judge in the inquest into the deaths of six people in a fire in a 14-storey block of flats in south London four years ago has writtentothe government with recommendationstoimprove fire safety. On 28Marchthe judge


appointed to the inquest submittedalettertothe CommunitiesDepartment setting out a number of proposals for improving fire safety in high rise blocks.Themain


recommendationswere: nThereshouldbeconsolidated


10


national guidance on the‘stay put’ approach andits interactionwith


the‘getout andstayout’principle. nConsider requiringthe owners of allhighriseblockstoprovide relevant fire safety information near theentrancetoblockssuch


as premisesinformation boxes. nFurtherguidanceshouldbe issued on fireriskassessments of flats includingadefinition of common parts; an inspection of asampleofflatstocheck compartmentation;and inspection of flats with internal alterations.


nGovernment should encourage the retro fitting of sprinklers in high rise blocks. Thefire at LakanalHouse,


part of theSceaux Estate in Camberwell andcontaining 98 flats, broke out on the ninth floor, apparently as a result of an electrical fault. The building datesfrom 1959 anddespite Southwark Council having carried outa£3.5million fire safety project, questions have been asked as towhether or not fire precautions in the block were sufficient.There hadbeencalls


for the flats to be demolished in 2006 and Lakanal House had allegedly been identified as being at risk of firespreadingthrough the block if a fire broke out in one of the flats. Accordingtothe inquest,


the deaths of three women and three children in Britain’s worst towerblock fireto-date were largelythe result of “botched and unsaferenovationworkand a council’sfailure to inspectthe building,aswellasconfusion and chaos during the firefighting operation”, said The Guardian.


Issue 14, Spring Flat Living


meet thetermsof anynew Government requirement. ARMAChief Executive Michelle Banks is in favour of April’s amendment tabled by Housing MinisterMark Prisk, as she believes it will prove“... very helpful to ARMAmembers, by making sure that allmanaging agents (and letting agents) whetherARMAmembers or not, will have to comply.” Thedecisionhas also been


welcomed by Cheshire and London based Premier Estates. Managing Director Ben Jordan, whoisalsoARMAchairman(see


pages 34-35 of this issue foran interviewwithBen)commented: “Premier Estatesare already membersofanombudsman schemeso our customers already have this levelofprotection. Extending this requirement to all managing agents isawelcome step in the right direction and certainly good news for the residentialleaseholdsector overall. Leaseholderswho suffer poorservice at thehands of their managing agentwillbeableto seek effective redress,whether or notthe agentsubscribestoa professional body.”


free up largenumbers ofempty andunderusedoffices in towns andcitiesaroundthe country with the aim of creatingmuch- needed newhousing.The relaxed planning ruleswillbeinplace forthree years, although because localcircumstances vary, local authoritieshavebeengiven the opportunitytoseekanexemption wheretheycan demonstrate there wouldbesubstantial adverse economic consequences as aresult. According to the Department


forCommunities andLocal Government, the change of use “willprovide badlyneeded homes forlocalpeopleand willmake a valuable contribution to easing thenationalhousing shortage. It will help create jobs in the construction industry andhelp regenerate our towncentres by increasing footfall in high streets”.


Could this office be your next flat?


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