Shaun Bailey, MP for Wednesbury, Oldbury and Tipton, today welcomed planning changes designed to deliver more homes and improve our public services' infrastructure.
The changes announced earlier this week by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government will allow empty commercial buildings to be converted to homes more easily. Checks will remain in place so local authorities can consider specific matters. Prior approval will be crucial in the conservation areas around the Church Square in Oldbury, Market Place in Wednesbury and Factory Locks in Tipton.
Other changes centre around facilitating extensions to schools and hospitals and greater protections for memorials, statues and monuments.
Commenting, Shaun Bailey MP said, "One of the most significant challenges we currently face is our housing crisis. Increasing the number of good quality homes is imperative. These changes making converting unused commercial space into homes will allow us to do this. Equally, I am glad to see that residents will remain in control of their local area.
Statues, memorials and monuments celebrate our incredible history. I am pleased to see that these will receive greater protections and that the Secretary of State can step in to prevent removal of essential heritage assets if necessary."
