A ban on micro-homes that do not meet size standards developed through permitted development rights will come into force from 6 April next year.
New laws announced at the end of September mean no home will be developed under 37 sq m, the minimum size for a one-bedroom flat.
In the seven years since PDR was introduced, developers have proposed homes as small as 8.3 sq m.
The government said the move will “ensure they provide proper living space”. However, homes delivered through planning applications will not be held to the same standard.
It follows the expansion of the controversial planning mechanism which currently allows all vacant commercial property to be redeveloped as housing.
Existing office-to-resi PDR has driven a surge of homes that critics have slammed as “slums of the future”. An independent report commissioned by the ministry of housing, communities and local government, which concluded that PDR conversions create worse environments, raised concerns over “health, wellbeing and quality of life”.
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has also introduced protections for theatres, concert halls and live music venues, where redevelopment is prevented for buildings which contribute cultural heritage value and are not easily replaced.
In a raft of new proposals, Jenrick has extended emergency development measures for councils and health service bodies until the end of next year, which will also give the Crown time to create extra capacity in courts.
The government will also extend by a year measures to allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to provide food takeaways, which were due to end on 23 March, and is exploring reform to make this permanent.
Legislation allowing businesses to host markets and stalls will also be extended for a year, with the possibility of making the measure permanent.
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