74Office development permits
(1)Subject to these provisions, an application to the local planning authority for planning permission to carry out, on land within an area to which these provisions apply, any development to which these provisions apply, that is to say, any development of land which consists of or includes—
(a)the erection of a building containing office premises ; or
(b)the extension or alteration of a building by the addition of, or the conversion of premises into, office premises; or
(c)a change of use whereby premises which are not office premises become office premises,
shall be of no effect unless a permit (in these provisions referred to as an " office development permit ") in respect of that development is issued under these provisions by the Secretary of State, and a copy of the permit is furnished to the local planning authority together with the application.
(2)An office development permit shall be required for the purposes of an application for planning permission made as mentioned in section 32(1) of this Act if the circumstances are such that, in accordance with subsection (1) of this section, such a permit would have been required if the application had been for planning permission to construct or carry out the building or works, or to institute the use of land, which the application seeks permission to retain or continue or (as the case may be) seeks permission to retain or continue without complying with a condition previously imposed, and subsections (1) and (3) of this section shall have effect in relation to that application accordingly.
(3)In exercising his discretion to issue or withhold office development permits, the Secretary of State shall have particular regard to the need for promoting the better distribution of employment in Great Britain.
(4)The areas to which these provisions apply are—
(a)the metropolitan region ;
(b)any area in Great Britain outside the metropolitan region which is for the time being designated for the purposes of this paragraph by an order made by the Secretary of State:
Provided that the Secretary of State may at any time by order direct that the metropolitan region, or a part of that region specified in the order, shall cease to be, or to be included in, an area to which these provisions apply.