Article 4 Direction for Employment Sites
October 18, 2019
The Article 4 Direction for Employments Sites in the South Downs National Park was confirmed on 13 August 2020 and comes into force from 22 October 2020.
What is the effect of the Article 4 Direction (“the Direction”)?
The Direction removes the ability to carry out what is known as permitted development.
The effect in the specified employment sites (see link below to Article 4 Direction with Site Maps), is a full planning application will be required from 22 October 2020 to do the following:
- Change of use from office to residential
- Change of use from light industrial to residential
What is the purpose of the Direction?
The purpose is to help safeguard employment sites in the South Downs National Park.
The employment sites covered by the Direction are important for the local economy providing jobs for those living both inside and outside the National Park.
Documents relating to the Direction
Article 4 Direction with Site Maps
Report to Director of Planning – Consultation response and Confirmation of Article 4 Direction
Agenda-Item-9_Planning Committee Report – 8 August 2019
Agenda-Item-9-Supporting Evidence Paper – Appendix 1 of the Planning Committee Report
Paper copies of the above documents can also be inspected at the South Downs Centre, North Street, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9DH between 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
Further information on the Direction
As the Local Planning Authority, the South Downs National Park Authority (“SDNPA”) has the power where it has good reason to do so, to remove the right in law to carry out what is known as permitted development, by making a direction under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. The Direction can remove these permitted development rights from specific sites or larger areas of land.
In this case the permitted development right allows for change of use from existing office or light industrial to residential without the usual planning controls. Under permitted development these specific changes of use can be carried out without the scrutiny of a full planning application using a process known as prior approval. Important matters such as the potential loss of office or light industrial employment space or the provision of affordable housing in the new use as residential are left out of the decision making process. The prior approval process only considers a limited number of matters.
The SDNPA in the exercising of its power made an Article 4(1) Direction on 16 October 2019. This was following the decision of the Planning Committee on 8 August 2019. The coming into force of the Direction was subject to public consultation, and, confirmation by SDNPA. Public consultation was carried out for eight weeks between 21 October 2019 and 16 December 2019.
Responses to the public consultation were presented in a report to the Director of Planning. Authority was delegated by Members of the Planning Committee to the Director of Planning, in consultation with the Chair of Planning Committee, to make the decision whether to confirm the Direction. The consultation responses either raised no objection or were in support of the Direction and there were no major matters arising. The Direction was confirmed by the Director of Planning on 13 August 2020. The confirmation was delayed due to the restrictions relating to Covid-19.
The Direction comes into force on 22 October 2020 and covers a number of employment sites in the South Downs National Park.