These Are Homes: The flats produced through Permitted Development Rights

Blocks can contain hundreds of substandard flats. A resident of Terminus House in Harlow described the homes as ‘prisons without bars’ and explained how her health has been affected by the cigarette fumes that enter her flat through the light fixtures. In Croydon, a former resident of Delta Point described his flat as ‘dilapidated’ and expressed his relief that he was able to move out. Similar experiences have been raised by people elsewhere in England, with PDR sites throughout the country. 

When visiting these PDR hotspots, the extent to which many of the buildings have been shaped by a lack of planning and development control is striking. Many of the buildings are situated along busy roads, have no access to outdoor green space, minimal levels of natural light. Some have broken doors, overfilled rubbish bins and abandoned mattresses at the buildings’ entrances. Poor fire safety measures were evident. 

Inside these buildings, flats are often small and lack the basic provisions outlined in the TCPA’s Healthy Homes principles. We face the risk of creating dysfunctional neighbourhoods that are shaped by poor-quality conversions, despite the insurmountable evidence that our health is so dependent on the quality of our homes. 

Through this photobook, the TCPA aims to shed light on the lived experiences of PDR residents, as many have no choice but to reside in homes that are jeopardising their health and wellbeing. As Lord Nigel Crisp, a crossbench peer and sponsor of the Healthy Homes Bill, explains, “The principle that housing should support people’s health and wellbeing is a simple one – but we risk losing sight of it.”  

The Healthy Homes principles: 

a) all new homes should be safe in relation to the risk of fire 

b) all new homes should have, as a minimum, the liveable space required to meet the needs of people over their whole lifetime, including adequate internal and external storage space

c) all main living areas and bedrooms of a new dwelling should have access to natural light

d) all new homes and their surroundings should be designed to be inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to suit the needs of all, with particular regard to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010

e) all new homes should be built within places that prioritise and provide access to sustainable transport and walkable services, including green infrastructure and play space

f) all new homes should secure radical reductions in carbon emissions in line with the provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008

g) all new homes should demonstrate how they will be resilient to a changing climate over their full lifetime

h) all new homes should be secure and built in such a way as to minimise the risk of crime 

i) all new homes should be free from unacceptable and intrusive noise and light pollution 

j) all new homes should not contribute to unsafe or illegal levels of indoor or ambient air pollution and must be built to minimise, and where possible eliminate, the harmful impacts of air pollution on human health and the environment

k) and all new homes should be designed to provide year-round thermal comfort for inhabitants

Lord Crisp will be speaking at Festival of Place: Social Impact on the causes of health and wellbeing in place. The digital event runs 27-28 February on Airmeet.