GEORGE Osborne’s speech yesterday announced that as part of his conversion strategy that sees local authority grants from Central Government reduced to zero, in future all business rates will be retained by local authorities.

Also announced is the intention to remove the need for planning applications on brownfield sites.

Sadly, previous loosening of planning law decreed that developers can convert offices to dwelling use without any planning application unless in conservation areas, listed buildings or article four protected areas. So there is now a conflict/tension created by this new decree.

I learned that the council is happy to see the loss of office space as there is an oversupply. This in turn deters developers from building new office space.

Following today’s announcement from the Chancellor, suddenly it is absolutely vital to hang on to every single business we have even while we are bleeding office space into the residential sector and losing larger employers who need to relocate or expand.

Businesses like 300-strong employers Crunch Accounting are threatened by a planning application to put nine flats on the roof over their heads at Hove Business Centre.

This would almost certainly require them to move out for some time for roof strengthening to facilitate such a build.

They have told council officers that this would mean a permanent move. They would need to take their 300 jobs out of the city and BHCC would lose those now vital business rates that it will want to keep....now that it can.

  • Valerie Paynter is founder of the Save Hove campaign group.