GOVERNMENT plans to allow empty shops and other buildings to be converted to housing without planning permission could be pushed through despite Council opposition.

Richmond Borough Council has drawn up a list of 67 shopping streets and parades across the area, which it wants to protect for shopping, leisure and community services.

These include the centres of Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, East Sheen, Whitton, St. Margaret's, Hampton, Hampton Wick, Fulwell, Hampton Hill, Barnes, Kew, Mortlake and Ham, as well as the majority of the borough's local parades.

However, Nub News has learned the government can simply annul these efforts by Richmond's Lib-Dem controlled council with a letter.

The impact of the pandemic with its lockdowns and a switch to internet shopping has seen many shops pull down the shutters, leaving ugly gaps in once thriving town centres.

Notably, Richmond lost its House of Fraser department store, which is currently being redeveloped, while many other national chains have gone and the Gap outlet is about to shut up shop.

There has been a constant churn in the ownership of shops in Twickenham, Teddington and shopping parades with a significant number empty or to let.

Many have been filled by hairdressers, barbers, nail bars, charity shops, vape and mobile phone outlets.

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The Government has instituted a permitted development right (PDR) that enables town centre buildings to change use from "commercial, business and service" (the class E use) to residential without a requirement to go through the normal planning permission.

The Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick, justified what amounts to bypassing the views of local residents, saying: "By diversifying our town and city centres … we can help the high street to adapt and thrive for the future."

Richmond Borough Council says it is 'particularly concerned' about the impact the change could have on the borough's high streets and shopping parades.

It has drawn up a so-called 'non-immediate Article 4 Direction', which is due to come interview effect on July 31 next year. This allows a local planning authority to withdraw specified permitted development rights across a defined area.

Councillor Martin Elengorn, the vice chairman of the borough's Richmond's Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee, said it is important to protect shopping streets for retail.

"The Government has been addressing the present situation by deregulation. Our fear is that this will lead to an erosion of our shopping streets…particularly if shops get converted to housing," he said.

"It may cause visual harm, but also a loss of integrity of the shopping street if every few shops are suddenly becoming residential. The whole vitality of the place and the amount of foot traffic might diminish."

Councillor Elengorn said many other councils around the country are taking the same approach using the Article 4 Direction, but he warned the Government can overrule them.

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"We are subject to the Government being able to annul any such direction if they think it is reversing the trend of the policy they have in mind. We have to be very careful about this," he said.

"We have to notify them of any such direction and they just have to write a letter saying 'No, sorry, we don't' give permission for that'."