<p><span>The government should suspend any further planned expansion to permitted development rights (PDR) for residential use and review the role of these PDRs in the wider planning system, according to a report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. </span></p> <p><span>After examining the government’s recent changes to PDR - taking in large-scale development, commercial-to-residential conversions and changes of use between different types of commercial and retail premises – the Committee has expressed concern about the quality of some homes created under PDR. </span></p> <p><span>The report also states that alterations to PDR policy could harm attempts to revitalise high streets and affect local authorities’ plans for development and shaping communities. </span></p> <p><span>And it claims that the prior approval process for residential PDRs is now so complex that it is very similar to that for the full planning system.</span></p> <p><span>The Committee's report makes a number of recommendations, including a pause to any further extensions of PDR for change use to residential. This includes the wide-ranging new class MA right - change of use from commercial, business and service use to residential – due to take effect on August 1.</span></p> <p><span>The report also calls on the government to review the position of …