If a business desires to change the direction of its trade, is it as simple as revamping the commercial property or do they need to seek permission from local councils? Movehut investigates.
Before taking out a lease on a commercial property you should always check what the building can be used for. Uses of commercial properties are split into classes and to change from one class to another may require planning permission.
These are some of most common commercial use classes:
A1 – Shops
A2 – Financial and Professional Services
A3 – Restaurants and Cafes
A4 – Drinking Establishments
A5 – Hot Food Takeaways
B1 – Business
B2 – General Industry
B8 – Storage and Distribution
C1 – Hotels
D2 – Assembly and Leisure
Some classes can be changed into another, for instance a restaurant can be changed into a financial service. Also a drinking establishment can be changed into a shop, but a shop cannot be changed into a drinking establishment. In this case, the drinking establishment would need to seek planning permission to change the use of the commercial property into a shop.
However some uses of commercial property do not fall into any class; these types of property are called ‘sui generis,’ which is Latin for ‘its own kind.’ Examples of these businesses include: night clubs, petrol stations and theatres. If you are taking out a lease on this type of commercial property you should always check the planning permission already in place as you may need further permission before commencing trading.
Before buying or renting any commercial property it is best to contact local authorities planning department to check whether permission will be needed to change the use of the commercial property, or if the change will affect the rateable value of the business (the market rental value).
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Commercial Office Classes Explained
