Commercial Change of Use
At Plan B Architecture we have gained expertise in securing planning permission for change of use applications. Every change of use application is different but the critical point is the ability to prove to your local council in proving the need for the new use class of dwelling. Plan B architecture can help you in preparing evidence and professional documentation in such cases.
Call us on 02084072472 if you want us to help you with your change of use applications.
Use Classes
The Town and Country Planning puts uses of land and buildings into various categories known as ‘Use Classes’.
The following list gives an indication of the types of use which may fall within each use class. Please note that this is a guide only and it’s for local planning authorities to determine, in the first instance, depending on the individual circumstances of each case, which use class a particular use falls into.
- A1 Shops – Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices (but not sorting offices), pet shops, sandwich bars, showrooms, domestic hire shops, dry cleaners, funeral directors and internet cafes.
- A2 Financial and professional services – Financial services such as banks and building societies, professional services (other than health and medical services) including estate and employment agencies and betting offices.
- A3 Restaurants and cafés – For the sale of food and drink for consumption on the premises – restaurants, snack bars and cafes.
- A4 Drinking establishments – Public houses, wine bars or other drinking establishments (but not night clubs).
- A5 Hot food takeaways – For the sale of hot food for consumption off the premises.
- B1 Business – Offices (other than those that fall within A2), research and development of products and processes, light industry appropriate in a residential area.
- B2 General industrial – Use for industrial process other than one falling within class B1 (excluding incineration purposes, chemical treatment or landfill or hazardous waste).
- B8 Storage or distribution – This class includes open air storage.
- C1 Hotels – Hotels, boarding and guest houses where no significant element of care is provided (excludes hostels).
- C2 Residential institutions – Residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges and training centres.
- C2A Secure Residential Institution – Use for a provision of secure residential accommodation, including use as a prison, young offenders institution, detention centre, secure training centre, custody centre, short term holding centre, secure hospital, secure local authority accommodation or use as a military barracks.
- C3 Dwellinghouses
- C4 Houses in multiple occupation – small shared houses occupied by between three and six unrelated individuals, as their only or main residence, who share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
- D1 Non-residential institutions – Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, schools, art galleries (other than for sale or hire), museums, libraries, halls, places of worship, church halls, law court. Non residential education and training centres.
- D2 Assembly and leisure – Cinemas, music and concert halls, bingo and dance halls (but not night clubs), swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums or area for indoor or outdoor sports and recreations (except for motor sports, or where firearms are used).
- Sui Generis – Certain uses do not fall within any use class and are considered ‘sui generis’. Such uses include: theatres, houses in multiple occupation, hostels providing no significant element of care, scrap yards. Petrol filling stations and shops selling and/or displaying motor vehicles. Retail warehouse clubs, nightclubs, launderettes, taxi businesses, amusement centres and casinos.
Before you negotiate a lease or buy a property for your business, check whether you need to obtain planning permission for your intended use, and, if so, your chances of getting it.
Changes of use requiring a planning application
Other than for the permitted changes of use and changes where both uses fall within the same use class, planning permission is generally required for a material change of use.Most external building work associated with a change of use is likely to require planning permission.
Building Regulations
The building regulations may apply to certain changes of use of an existing building even though you may think that the work involved in the project will not amount to ‘Building Work’.
Call us on 02084072472 if you want us to help you with your change of use applications.
