4D Planning Consultants
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
What Changes Of Use do not require planning permission?
In many cases involving similar types of use, a change of use of a building or land does not require planning permission. Planning permission is not required when both the present and proposed uses fall within the same ‘class’, or if the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order says that a change of class is permitted to another specified class (see table below).
For example, a supermarket could be changed to a clothing shop without permission as these uses fall within the same ‘class’, and a restaurant could be changed to a retail shop or an estate agency as the Use Class Order allows this type of change to occur without requiring planning permission.
Most external building work associated with a change of use is likely to require planning permission.
| From | To |
| A2 (professional and financial services) when premises have a display window at ground level | A1 (shop) |
| A3 (restaurants and cafes) | A1 or A2 |
| A4 (drinking establishments) | A1 or A2 or A3 |
| A5 (hot food takeaways) | A1 or A2 or A3 |
| B1 (business) (permission limited to change of use relating to not more than 235 square metres of floor space) | B8 (storage and distribution) |
| B2 (general industrial) | B1 (business) |
| B2 (general industrial) (permission limited to change of use relating to not more than 235 square metres of floor space)) | B8 (storage and distribution) |
| B8 (storage and distribution) (permission limited to change of use relating to not more than 235 square metres of floor space) | B1 (business) |
| C3 (dwellinghouses) | C4 (houses in multiple occupation) |
| C4 (houses in multiple occupation) | C3 (dwellinghouses) |
| Casinos (sui generis) | D2 (assembly and leisure) |
Additionally, a planning application is not required for change of use in the following circumstances:
- from A1 or A2 to A1 plus up to two flats above;
- from A2 to A2 plus up to two flats above.
These changes are reversible without an application only if the part that is now a flat was, respectively, in either A1 or A2 use immediately before it became a flat.
For further information on the different use classes click here.
For further information on Permitted Development/ Lawful Development Change of Uses click here.
