All but four of London’s Boroughs are likely to seek an exemption from new rules making it easier for developers to convert offices into homes.

Just Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Croydon and Kingston are unlikely to seek an exemption, according to research by CBRE.

Redbridge, Sutton, Waltham Forest and Brent are “still in discussions” with the Greater London Authority and the remaining 25 “are looking to apply for exemption”.

The government published a new permitted development right to allow office space to be converted into homes without planning permission from a council in January.

Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State, said local authorities will be able to seek an exemption “if they can demonstrate there would be substantial adverse economic consequences.”

Last week the Mayor of London Boris Johnson called for exemptions for the City of London, the South Bank and the West End.

Further exemptions are sought for the commercial area north of the Isle of Dogs and London’s enterprise zones in the Royal Docks, plus the part of the City fringe in east London which makes up the emerging “Tech City” opportunity area. 

The Mayor believes that if these clusters were to be broken up in piecemeal residential conversions these benefits would disappear.

Plans to make it easier to convert offices to homes to tackle the housing crisis and bring vacant space back into use were first raised by the chancellor George Osborne in the budget two years ago.

The original plan was shelved due to a lack of clarity over how the conversions might work.

Property experts were quick to point out that the overwhelming majority of conversions would need external modifications, and so would still require planning permission.

The former planning minister Greg Clark opted to “water down” the proposals by including policy guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework encouraging councils to look favourably on the conversions.