Changes to permitted development rights (PDRs) in Scotland that came into force today could help to revitalise Scottish town centres, according to Colliers.
The amendments to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) Scotland Order mean that shops (subject to restrictions) can now be converted to office accommodation, restaurants or cafes without the requirement for planning permission.
Holly Gillingham from Colliers’ planning team said: “In this post-pandemic world, these changes to legislation are an excellent step towards relaxing planning policy in Scotland and help revitalise town centres which need to change and modernise as the way that we all live and work has changed.
“These new PDRs will mean that some units that have previously been occupied as shops could change to professional services, office accommodation, new restaurants or cafes. While there are still some restrictions, this frees up local authorities to focus on larger scale planning applications and provides businesses and landlords with greater flexibility.”
