The Grange in Southgate will retain offices on its ground floor but convert five floors above into flats with no affordable housing included, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

A large office block in Southgate is set to be turned into flats despite criticism over a lack of affordable housing and poor quality.

Developer The Grange N14 Ltd will be converting its site at 100 High Street, opposite Southgate Station, into 82 flats for private sale, with offices remaining only on the ground floor.

Like many other office-to-residential conversions in Enfield in recent years, The Grange N14 Ltd has utilised ‘permitted development rights’, avoiding the need to apply for full planning permission to convert industrial or commercial space for residential use.

The firm explained in its planning statement that the office building was only “partially occupied” at present and that while five floors would be converted, the ground floor would remain for office use. It added that flats created in the building would all have “sufficient light to provide high-quality living accommodation”.

However, Better Homes Enfield campaigner Matt Burn has repeatedly warned that permitted development conversions of office blocks was leading to poor quality housing being created.

He said the Southgate plan had no affordable housing or amenity space and that some flats wouldn’t have “openable windows”, instead relying on an internal ventilation system.

Matt said: “This office conversion will deliver a substantial number of new flats, but none will be classified as ‘affordable’. Southgate is set to lose a significant amount of office space as a result.

“All of the flats will be single aspect, with some non-openable windows, which raises concerns about overheating and airflow. Additionally, there will be no outdoor amenity spaces available.

“These office-to-residential conversions fall under permitted development rights meaning they are not required to follow regular planning policies.

“Many councils have enacted an ‘Article 4′ direction, which helps them to protect valuable employment spaces from being converted, and also forces developers of these conversions to meet planning requirements. However, unlike other London councils, Enfield has still not enacted an Article 4 direction, making it challenging to control these schemes.”

In response Susan Erbil, the council’s cabinet member for planning and regulatory services, said the plan complied with the “relevant conditions set out in the legislation brought into effect by the previous government” but also “echoed concerns” that had been raised.

An Article 4 direction limits the work that can be carried out without needing planning permission, such as office-to-residential conversations, and has been introduced by many councils, including neighbouring Barnet. However, Enfield Council has said previously that due to government changes to planning legislation in 2020, introducing an Article 4 direction was “no longer viable”.

Nevertheless, campaigners like Matt have continued to put pressure on the council to implement such planning controls to ensure all developments meet good standards.

Placing the blame instead on the previous Conservative government, Cllr Erbil said: “The prior approval application in question at 100 High Street complies with the relevant conditions set out in the legislation brought into effect by the previous government.

“The previous government introduced new processes for bypassing traditional planning regulations to speed up developments, which include classes of development that are subject to prior approval.

“Prior approval is not a form of planning application and is a permitted development, already granted through legislation alongside a set of narrow conditions that the development must meet.

“I have always echoed concerns about the quality of homes created through permitted development rights. It is important that all developments meet good standards.”

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