25 Sep 2023
Five years ago, SADC took decisive steps to protect key business and office space in the district from being turned into flats and houses.
The initiative by the then-Tory administration was prompted by the transformation of numerous business premises into residential homes, and saw portfolio holder for planning, Cllr Mary Maynard, issue Article 4 Directions to cover nine designated areas.
Owners of business premises in those areas would then have to apply to for planning permission for conversions, but these were likely to be refused in order to retain key business premises.
It followed national planning law reforms in which owners of business premises were given permitted development rights allowing them to change the use of such buildings to residential without district council planning permission.
Cllr Maynard said at the time: “Research by council officers had shown that many business premises had been lost to housing in recent years.
“There is no doubt in my mind, and that of the local business community, that this steep reduction in office space was making it more difficult for businesses to thrive here. It was getting harder to stay or start up in St Albans or relocate here.
“The Article 4 Directions will support businesses and help the local economy upon which we depend. It will particularly reinforce the role of the district as a centre for professional service companies and other business sectors.”
They covered change of use from office, light industrial, storage and distribution to residential, and were supported by St Albans and District Chamber of Commerce.
But now the threat of conversions has reared its head again, with Aecom House, in Victoria Street (pictured), could see part of the building transformed into 19 flats if change of use plans from commercial to residential are approved.
In the application it states that any existing Article 4 Direction would only remain in place until July 31 2022 and thereafter unless a new Article 4 Direction was put into place the ability to convert buildings within a former Article 4 Direction area would be permissible.
It adds: “The council has not introduced any recent Article 4 Directions affecting the subject building, and on that basis, given this application is submitted after the 31st of July 2022, an application to convert the building into residential apartments… is permissible.”
Former councillor Mary Maynard responded to the proposed development this week: “Losing commercial space in the city centre will have long-term consequences for the local provision of services and will reduce the number of good local jobs, forcing people to travel further to work. This is not good for work/life balance or for the environment. It will further reduce the opportunities for local start-up companies and will have knock-on consequences for businesses who rely on lunchtime trade.”
Alison Berneye, chief executive officer of St Albans BID, added: “Much of the city centre, including the BID area, is in a Conservation Area and requires the type of protection afforded by Article 4 for the preservation of city centre employment space.
“We hope that these protections are considered in any planning decisions.
“We are pleased to see that there is some safeguarding against the net loss of office floor space in the Draft Local Plan.
“The BID will continue to provide additional feedback to SADC on policies to shore up and support long-term employment and economic growth for the city centre and ensure that city centre businesses are supported, and their voices, views and needs are recognised and heard,” she added.
Professor Tim Boatswain from St Albans Civic Society said: “It is not clear how the Article 4 direction ceased and why this was not reinstated. Was it an oversight or a deliberate decision and why is the St Albans City Core still shown as an Article 4 area on the SADC website – the council needs to explain?The whole point of the Employment Article 4 designations was to protect business and industrial premises for employment reasons against being converted to residential.
“It certainly contradicts the Draft Local Plan (5.23 Emp3):
St Albans City Core is the key office location in the district. Development proposals within this area must: a) Avoid net loss of office floorspace that falls within Use Class E(g)(i)…
“It is disappointing and makes me think of what has happened to the London Road Business Park after the catastrophic fire, where the small businesses and industries have all been lost to residential.”
