Property Data

Planning Use Classes Explained, What Each Class Means for Property Owners

Planning use classes define how a property or building can legally be used. Understanding them is essential if you are buying commercial property, converting a building, or changing its use.

Published: 16 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Mar 2026 · 7 min read

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What Are Planning Use Classes?

In England, planning law groups types of land and building use into categories called use classes, defined in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended). A use class describes the lawful purpose for which a building or piece of land may be used.

Changing from one use class to another normally requires planning permission, unless a specific permitted development right allows the change without a formal application. The UK Planning Portal provides detailed guidance on use classes and permitted development rights.

Understanding which use class applies to a property is critical when:

Buying commercial or mixed-use property
Converting offices, retail, or agricultural buildings to residential
Letting property for a different purpose than its current authorised use
Assessing what a property can lawfully be used for

Main Use Classes in England (2026)

The Use Classes Order was significantly reformed in September 2020. The current main classes are:

Class	Description	Examples
Class E (Commercial, Business and Service)	Commercial activity broadly	Shops, offices, restaurants, gyms, creches, light industrial
Class F.1 (Local Community)	Non-residential community uses	Libraries, exhibition halls, public halls, churches
Class F.2 (Local Amenity)	Small local shops and community facilities	Local shops under 280m², swimming pools, outdoor sport
Class C1	Hotels	Hotels, boarding houses, guest houses
Class C2	Residential institutions	Hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools
Class C2A	Secure residential institutions	Prisons, detention centres
Class C3	Dwelling houses	Houses, flats, maisonettes (single household or up to 6 unrelated people)
Class C4	Houses in multiple occupation	Small HMOs (3–6 unrelated people)
Class B2	General industrial	Manufacturing, processing
Class B8	Storage and distribution	Warehouses, logistics

Certain uses are defined as sui generis, meaning "in a class of their own", and do not fall into any use class. Examples include petrol stations, theatres, nightclubs, and large HMOs (more than 6 people). Any change to or from a sui generis use requires planning permission.

The Class E Consolidation

The most significant 2020 reform was the creation of Class E, which merged a wide range of previously separate commercial classes (A1 retail, A2 financial services, A3 restaurants, and B1 offices and light industrial) into a single class. This means that within Class E, uses can be changed freely without requiring planning permission, a shop can become an office, or a restaurant can become a gym, without a formal application.

This change was intended to give town centres greater flexibility to adapt to changing economic conditions.

Residential Conversions and Permitted Development

Several permitted development rights allow conversion to residential (Class C3) without full planning permission. Currently, conversions from Class E commercial buildings to residential are possible under Prior Approval, a lighter-touch application process that assesses specific matters such as flood risk, transport, and contamination, but does not consider the principle of the change of use.

Prior Approval is not the same as full planning permission and the process and conditions vary by local authority. Always verify the current permitted development rights in force for a specific site, as these are subject to regular change.

Why Use Class Matters When Buying

When purchasing a property for a specific purpose, always confirm the existing lawful use class. If you intend to use the property differently from its current use, obtain confirmation of permitted development rights or, where necessary, a formal planning permission before exchanging contracts.