In December 2012 EFRA submitted a response to a consultation about relaxing planning rules for extensions, to both homes and business premises, and about relaxing constraints such as converting commercial property to private use. You may have heard about this item on the news at the time when Richmond and other councils objected. EFRA also objected, on the grounds that rear extensions are already permitted and that the proposed relaxation could be abused and is in any case inappropriate in a suburban area such as ours where it could cause problems for neighbours.