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The 'Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987' is a Statutory Instrument which revoked and replaced the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1972 as amended by the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Order 1983. The 1987 order has since been amended by the Use Classes (Amendment) Order 2005.

★ The Order specifies classes of use of buildings or other land for the purposes of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971.

★ It specifies operations or uses which are not to be taken for the purposes of the Act as involving development, and which therefore do not require Planning permission.

★ It provides that a change of use is not to be regarded as involving development where the former use and the new use are both within the same Use Class.

Contents

Summary of classes

External links

Summary of classes

Use Classes Order Including 2005 Amendment	Use Classes Order 1972	Description	General Permitted Development (Amendment) Order 2005
A1 Shops	Class I	Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, dry cleaners, Internet Cafes etc.
		Pet shops, Cat-meat shops, Tripe shops, sandwich bars
		Showrooms, domestic hire shops, funeral directors
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.
A3		Restaurants and Cafes Restaurants, snack bars, cafes	Permitted change to A1 or A2
A4 Drinking Establishments		Pubs and bars	Permitted change to A1, A2 or A3
A5 Hot Food Takeaways		Hot Food Takeaway	Permitted change to A1, A2 or A3
Sui Generis		Shops selling and/or displaying motor vehicles, retail warehouse clubs, launderettes, taxi or vehicle hire businesses, amusement centres, petrol filling stations,
B1 Business	Class II (a)	Offices, not within A2	Permitted change to B8 where no more than 235m²
	(b)	Research and development, studios, laboratories, high technology	Permitted change to B8 where no more than 235m²
	Class III (c)	Light Industry Permitted change to B8 where no more than 235m²	Permitted change to B8 where no more than 235m²
B2 General Industry	Class IV-IX	General Industry	Permitted change to B1 or B8. B8 limited to no more than 235m²
B8 Storage or Distribution	Class X	Wholesale warehouses, distribution centres, repositories	Permitted change to B1 where no more than 235m²
Sui Generis		Any works registerable under the Alkali, etc. Works Regulation Act 1906
C1 Hotels	Class XI	Hotels, boarding and guest houses
C2 Residential Institutions	Class XII	Residential schools and colleges
	Class XIV	Hospitals and convalescent/nursing homes, communal housing of elderly and handicapped people.
C3 Dwelling Houses		Dwellings, small businesses at home. (Does not include households consisting of more than six residents not in a family or households where care is provided for the residents).
Sui Generis		Hostel
D1 Non-residential Institutions	Class XIII	Places of worship, Church Halls
	Class XV	Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, consulting rooms
	Class XVI	Museums, public halls, libraries, art galleries, exhibition halls
		Non - residential education and training centres
D2 Assembly and Leisure	Class XVII	Cinemas, music and concert halls
	Class XVIII	Dance, Sports halls, Swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums
		Other indoor and outdoor sports and leisure uses, bingo halls,
Sui Generis	Class XVII	Theatres, night-clubs, casinos.

External links

★ Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (S.I. 1987/764)

★ Use Classes Order

★ Informal summary and advice for anyone leasing or buying business premises in the UK