BRC - new expansion rules may hinder retailers ops
15 Apr '06
2 min read
Retail trade association British Retail Consortium (BRC) stated that new government legislation requiring retailers to seek planning permission before building mezzanine floors within existing stores risks creating damaging log-jams in local authority planning departments.
BRC announcement is in line with industry expectations, but called on the Government to ensure planning departments have the numbers and quality of staff they need to deal with the extra workload.
BRC Director General, Kevin Hawkins, said: "Bringing mezzanine developments under the control of the planning system will mean more work for local planning officers. They will also be unfamiliar with the considerations surrounding this new type of application. The planning system is already over-burdened and under-funded.”
“To avoid delaying vital development and regeneration projects the Government must allow local authorities to invest more resources in the planning regime so they have the numbers and quality of staff that will now be needed."
Increases in the internal retail floor space of 200 square metres or more will be brought under planning control. This will include mezzanines in large retail stores, which had previously been used to expand floor space in out of town developments without planning permission.
The legislation will come in to force on 10 May 2006
The BRC works closely with government on all campaigning and policy issues on behalf of ourmembers, and have built a firm and constructive relationship with all the governmental departments detailed below.
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