A new Permitted Development Right (PDR) was introduced in August 2020, which permits the demolition of certain commercial buildings and residential dwellings to create new dwellings. This is known as Class ZA and is another attempt by the Government to increase the supply of housing through the redevelopment of vacant land and underused buildings.
When you buy a site it can sometimes be tempting to demolish the building as soon as possible to speed things up. Our advice is to hold fire. Always speak to a specialise before you decide to demolish. You may be able to save a lot of time and money by utilising Class ZA.
What is Class ZA?
Class ZA allows for the demolition of either a single purpose built detached block of flats or a single detached building that is an office or light industrial that was existing on 12th March 2020. Class ZA allows for a replacement with either a single propose built block of new flats or a single purpose built house.
Class ZA also permits the replacement building to be up to two storeys higher than the existing building – potentially doubling the value of you scheme.
Criteria and Prior Approval
There is of course, a list of qualifying criteria which include; the requirement that the existing building needs to have been vacant for more than 6 months, the replacement building needs to be on the same footprint, and several others.
There are also prior approval matters that need to be addressed. These include the impact on:
- highways
- contamination
- flooding risks
- noise
- natural light
- design and external appearance of the new build
However, unlike Class Q (agricultural to residential) the new Class ZA includes consideration of:
- ‘impact on business’
- impact on heritage and archaeology
- landscaping
There is also a requirement to provide details of the method of demolition and then, following approval, there is a need to provide details of the construction management of the development including some listed elements.
This PDR excludes sites in Areas or Outstanding Natural Beauty, Conservation Areas, or Listed Buildings.
Hestia Town Planning 