Decision details

The decision is a matter of whether or not to confirm the making of the above Article 4 Directions.

The Article 4 Directions are required as a result of changes to the Use Class Order in England, and the corresponding introduction of a new permitted development right (referred to as Class MA) which came into force 1 August 2021. Subject to specific limitations and conditions, the Class MA right allows any building or planning unit within Use Class E to convert to residential use through prior approval. Where existing Article 4 Directions were in already place, these are superseded by the new Class MA right, necessitating the making of replacement Directions. Transitional arrangements allowed Crawley’s existing Directions to remain in force for a further year, to 1 August 2022. This has provided sufficient time for the council to prepare replacement Article 4 Directions, ready to come into force before the carry over date of 1 August 2022.

The new Article 4 Directions replace those existing Directions that would otherwise be superseded 1 August 2022. The approach continues to support the council’s objectives to retain the supply of business land, ensuring that there is a good mix and supply of premises within the main employment areas, helping to support businesses and protect jobs. If potential loss of business floorspace in main employment areas is not managed this could have a substantial adverse economic consequence on the town and the wider sub region with regards to a competitive economy, jobs growth, and undermining investment in business space. As Crawley continues to recover from the significant economic impacts associated with COVID-19, ensuring a sufficient supply of employment land and providing certainty for existing and new businesses remains vital. The Directions also help ensure that residential development does not come forward in locations that would result in a poor quality of life for future residents.