Planning changes for Free Schools

The Government has announced that from June 2013, Free Schools will be able to move into almost any empty building and operate for up to a year without planning approval for the ‘change of use’. This will include empty premises such as shops, offices and hotels.

Local planning authorities will have to ‘carry out only a limited assessment that will consider noise and traffic issues’.

The changes will also include a new streamlined planning process that will see planners giving priority to the need for new schools when considering applications and giving priority to appeals by schools.

There are currently 80 Free Schools in the UK and there are another 100 expected to open for September 2013.