Communities secretary Eric Pickles argued that the changes made the best use of developed sites by allowing existing empty or underused buildings to be brought back into productive use.
He claimed it would ease the housing shortage and create construction jobs.
The permitted development right will be in place for three years, and recognising that local circumstances vary, local authorities will have an opportunity to seek an exemption if they can demonstrate there would be a detrimental economic impact.
Agricultural buildings can also now be converted for other business uses without the need for planning permission, raising the prospect of every last barn in the countryside being converted into holiday homes.
Mr Pickles said: “We want to promote the use of brownfield land to assist regeneration, and get empty and under-used buildings back into productive use. Using previously developed land and buildings will help us promote economic growth, provide more homes and still ensure that we safeguard environmentally protected land.
“We are absolutely determined to support people striving to bring life back to their communities and high streets.”
Planning minister Nick Boles added: “We are determined to make sure perfectly good underused properties are converted for homes and uses that will benefit our communities.”
British Property Federation policy director Ian Fletcher responded: “Given our acute shortage of homes this is an extremely welcome step. Office to residential conversions won’t work for all buildings, or in every area, but any trip through our suburbs soon exposes redundant office space that with the best will in the world is never going to be brought back into commercial use.
“Such conversions will be good for those seeking homes, the wider community and local authorities, who will gain from the New Homes Bonus and council tax receipts that occupation generates.
“However, we need to see further detail on how 'local exceptions' schemes will work. Any exemptions should be few and far between, and this aspect will need to be tightly drawn and policed if it is not to undermine the overall policy objective.”
Country Land & Business Association president Harry Cotterell said: “We are very pleased with this announcement. It is something for which we have campaigned for years. It offers farmers and land managers the chance to find alternative sources of income by using their redundant agricultural buildings in new ways. This will underpin their farming businesses and boost the rural economy by helping to create new jobs and businesses at a time when they are greatly needed.”
For a fuller article on the topic of transforming disused buildings for new uses, see the Dec/Jan issue of The Construction Index. It is free to read online at http://epublishing.theconstructionindex.co.uk/magazine/december2012/ or you can subscribe to receive your own hard copy here http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/magazine
Click here to read this article in full and turn to page 24.
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