The use of land or buildings for the purposes of planning, are separated into ‘use classes’ under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.
If you need to change the designated use class of a particular building or piece of land, planning permission is normally required.
Having said that, some use class changes can be made without planning permission under something called Permitted Development.
The options available under Permitted Development depend on what use class your building is currently in, and what class you are looking to change it to.
Some types of Permitted Development require a prior approval before any change commences, which takes the form of a streamlined planning application.
Our use classes order summary provides an overview of what Permitted Development options are available for each use class, as well as help to establish what use class your building or land is in.
If you are unsure about either your existing use class or rights under Permitted Development, or you want to discuss the potential options available to you based on your development objectives, get in touch with our planning team who will be happy to help.
