Guide to Use Classes Order
and Permitted Changes of Use
(England and Wales)
Use Classes
Order 1987
(see note
1)
|
Use Classes
Order 1972
|
Description
|
General Development
Order 1988
(see note
2)
|
A1
Shops
|
Class I |
Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket
agencies, post offices, dry cleaners, etc
Pet shops, cats-meat shops, tripe shops, sandwich bars
Showrooms, domestic hire shops, funeral directors
|
No permitted change
(see
note 3)
|
A2
Financial and
Professional
Services |
Class II |
Banks, building societies, estate
and employment agencies
Professional and financial services, betting offices
|
Permitted change to A1
where a ground floor
display window exists
(see note
3) |
A3
Food and Drink |
Restaurants, pubs, snack bars,
cafés, wine bars, shops for sale of hot food |
Permitted change to A1
or A2 |
Sui Generis
(see
note 4) |
Shops selling and/or displaying
motor vehicles
Launderettes, taxi or vehicle hire businesses, amusement centres, petrol
filling stations
| Permitted change to A1
No permitted change |
B1
Business
(see
note 5) |
Class II
Class III |
Offices, not within A2
Research and development studios, laboratories, high tech
Light industry |
Permitted change to B8
where no more than 235sqm |
B2
General Industrial
(see note
6) |
Class IV-IX |
General industrial |
Permitted change to B1 or B8
B8 limited to no more than
235 sqm |
B8
Storage and distribution |
Class X |
Wholesale warehouse, distribution
centres, repositories |
Permitted change to B1
where no more than 235 sqm |
Sui Generis
(see
note 4) |
N/A |
Any work registrable under the
Alkali, etc. Works Regulation Act, 1906 |
No permitted change |
C1
Hotels
(see note
7) |
Class XI |
Hotels, boarding and guest houses |
No permitted change |
C2
Residential Institutions |
Class XII
Class XIV
|
Residential schools and colleges
Hospitals and convalescent/nursing homes |
No permitted change |
C3
Dwelling Houses
(see note
8) |
N/A |
Dwellings, small businesses at home,
communal housing of elderly and handicapped |
No permitted change |
Sui Generis
(see
note 4) |
N/A |
Hostel |
No permitted change |
D1
Non-residential Institutions |
Class XIII
Class XV
Class XVI
|
Places of worship, church halls
Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, consulting rooms
Museums, public halls, libraries, art galleries, exhibition halls
Non-residential education and training centres |
No permitted change |
D2
Assembly and Leisure |
Class XVII
Class XVIII
|
Cinemas, music and concert halls
Dance, sports halls, swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums
Other indoor and outdoor sports and leisure uses, bingo halls, casinos |
No permitted change |
Sui Generis
(see
note 4) |
Class XVII |
Theatres |
No permitted change |
NOTES
-
Changes of use within a specific class do not require
planning permission provided that:
the use subsists; the planning permission has been implemented; and no
restrictive condition is attached to the consent
-
The permitted development rights shown in the final column do
not require planning permission where all criteria set out in
the Order are met and no restrictive conditions apply
-
The General Development (Amendment) Order 1995 provides for
the permitted change of use of a building from Class A1 or Class A2 to a mixed
use for the purposes of either Class A1 or Class A2 and as a single flat, and
from such a mixed use to Class A1 or Class A2 use provided
the Class A1 or Class A2 use is situated on a floor below the single flat and
various other conditions are met.
-
Sui Generis
is a term which refers to a use on its own. Any planning use not falling within
a specific class within the Classes Order falls within this category.
-
A B1 use must be capable of being
undertaken "in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of that
area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or
grit".
-
The Use Classes (Amendment) Order
1995 amends the 1987 Order by omitting Classes B4 - B7 (special industrial
groups B - E). Industrial processes previously within these classes now fall
within Class B2 (general industrial).
-
A C1 use is defines as a hotel or a
boarding or guest house where, in each case, no significant element of care is
provided.
-
Six or less residents unless living
together as a family.
-
It should be noted that permitted
changes of use identified above are ratchet changes, i.e. cannot be made in
reverse.
-
Various other permitted development rights exist for, inter
alia, industrial and warehouse buildings, dwelling houses,
agricultural buildings, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and
development by statutory undertakers.
-
The above is intended as a general guide only. Reference must be made in the
final instance to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended, the Use
Classes Order 1987 as amended, and the General Development Order 1988 as
amended.
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|