Time to change offices to residential in London? Why and how...
London is known for its bustling business districts, with many high-rise office buildings dominating the skyline. However, as the way we work continues to evolve, there has been an increasing trend towards converting office buildings into residential apartments.
This change of use can bring a range of benefits to the city, from increasing housing stock to revitalizing neighbourhoods.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the key advantages of changing the use of office buildings to residential apartments.
Increased Housing Stock
One of the most obvious benefits of converting office buildings to apartments is the increase in housing stock. With London facing a chronic shortage of affordable housing, repurposing existing office buildings can provide much-needed homes for city residents.
This is particularly important in central areas , where space is at a premium and land for new development is scarce. Converting office buildings can create high-quality, centrally located homes that are in high demand from both renters and buyers.
Revitalised Neighbourhoods
Areas such as the City of London are primarily a business district, with many office buildings and commercial properties. However, by converting these buildings to residential use, the area can be revitalised and transformed into a more diverse and vibrant community.
With new residents moving in, there is likely to be an increase in local amenities such as shops, restaurants, and cafes. This, in turn, can attract more people to the area, creating a positive feedback loop of urban renewal and regeneration.
Reduced Environmental Impact
Converting office buildings to apartments can also have a positive impact on the environment. Many older office buildings are energy-inefficient and require significant amounts of energy to heat and cool. By converting them to residential use, they can be modernised with energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, reducing the overall carbon footprint of the building.
Additionally, repurposing existing buildings can help to reduce the need for new construction, which can have a significant impact on the environment.
Preserved Architectural Heritage
London is home to many historic buildings, and converting office buildings to residential use can help to preserve this architectural heritage. Rather than demolishing older buildings and constructing new ones, converting existing structures can maintain the character and charm of the area.
This can be particularly important in areas with listed buildings or conservation areas, where there are restrictions on new construction.
Financial Benefits
With London residential rental rates increasing and office costs per sq. ft reducing, now is an optimal time to change the use of a building to maximise profit.
In addition, during building & construction works, you can obtain exemption on paying business rates.
How do I make a prior approval application to convert offices into residential?
The first thing you need to know is that the property must have been vacant for three months before the date on which you submit your application.
Secondly, it needs to have been used for one of the uses covered by Class E for at least two years. These include anything that was covered by B1(a) - which was the main category for offices - but also A2 (Financial and Professional Services), which covered estates agents, employment agencies and other types of services that use shopfront locations.
Before you start the works for converting your office units into residential units, you need to make a prior approval application. Your application should include a full set of drawings and supporting documents relating to the transport and highway impacts, contamination risks, flood risks and noise.
If your property complies with the prior approval mechanism, your council cannot apply any other planning policies in determining the prior approval application. If you tick all the boxes, they have to say yes.
Once you submit your prior approval application to the council, they then have 56 days to decide. Once you get approval, you'll be ready to start work on your offices into residential flats development.
Key factors to take into account
It seems a no brainer at this stage, but there are some major considerations to take into account;
If you are trying to decide whether a building is suitable for office to residential conversion; there are some things you need to consider. And an important fact to keep in mind; this right does not allow you to make any external changes to the building.
Because of that, the first thing you need to assess is windows; every bedroom, living room and kitchen will need to get direct natural light. Think about many office buildings you’ve worked in or visited, and you might see the potential problem here.
Let’s be blunt: lack of windows is the deal-breaker for many potential office-to-home conversions.
The second is bins and bikes – since many offices are in town centres, you may well be aiming to get by without providing parking spaces. And offices that aren’t in town probably have a reasonable amount of parking spaces.
But while for most developers’ bins and bikes are an afterthought, they will need to be stored inside the building. Or at least they will in your Class MA application.
So, consider whether the building has existing doors you can get bins and bikes in and out of (because you can’t create new doorways) – and make sure you haven’t worked out the financial viability of your project based on flats you will have to sacrifice for cycle storage.
It’s also worth thinking about fire safety – are there enough staircases to get people out safely?
And again, remember, strictly speaking, you’re not even allowed to create new exit doors, although some councils will be more flexible than others about these matters.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the conversion of office buildings to residential apartments in the City of London can bring a range of benefits; but there may be challenges to overcome on the way.
As the way we live and work continues to evolve, the conversion of office buildings to residential use is likely to become an increasingly important trend in the City and beyond.
If you would like us to help you with your office-to-residential conversion, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Joe on 020 3637 9441.