Use Classes

Question 1

Broadly, what are the Use Classes (without looking at sub-classes)?

Answer 1

• Class B - industrial
• Class C - hotels and residential
• Class E - Commercial, business and service
• Class F - Local community and learning
• Sui Generis

Question 2

What sub-classes are within Use Class B?

Answer 2

B2 General industrial - Use for industrial process other than one falling within class E(g) (excluding incineration purposes, chemical treatment or landfill or hazardous waste)

B8 Storage or distribution - This class includes open air storage.

Question 3

What sub-classes are within Use Class C?

Answer 3

C1 Hotels - Hotels, boarding and guest houses where no significant element of care is provided (excludes hostels)

C2 Residential institutions - Residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges and training centres

C2A Secure Residential Institution - Use for a provision of secure residential accommodation, including use as a prison, young offenders institution, detention centre, secure training centre, custody centre, short term holding centre, secure hospital, secure local authority accommodation or use as a military barracks

C3 Dwellinghouses - This class is formed of three parts

• C3(a) covers use by a single person or a family (a couple whether married or not, a person related to one another with members of the family of one of the couple to be treated as members of the family of the other), an employer and certain domestic employees (such as an au pair, nanny, nurse, governess, servant, chauffeur, gardener, secretary and personal assistant), a carer and the person receiving the care and a foster parent and foster child
• C3(b) covers up to six people living together as a single household and receiving care e.g. supported housing schemes such as those for people with learning disabilities or mental health problems
• C3(c) allows for groups of people (up to six) living together as a single household. This allows for those groupings that do not fall within the C4 HMO definition, but which fell within the previous C3 use class, to be provided for i.e. a small religious community may fall into this section as could a homeowner who is living with a lodger

C4 Houses in multiple occupation - Small shared houses occupied by between three and six unrelated individuals, as their only or main residence, who share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom.

Question 4

What sub-classes fall within Use Class E? (most common)

Answer 4

E(a) Display or retail sale of goods, other than hot food

E(b) Sale of food and drink for consumption (mostly) on the premises

E(c) Provision of:

• E(c)(i) Financial services,
• E(c)(ii) Professional services (other than health or medical services), or
• E(c)(iii) Other appropriate services in a commercial, business or service locality

E(d) Indoor sport, recreation or fitness (not involving motorised vehicles or firearms or use as a swimming pool or skating rink,)

E(e) Provision of medical or health services (except the use of premises attached to the residence of the consultant or practitioner)

E(f) Creche, day nursery or day centre (not including a residential use)

E(g) Uses which can be carried out in a residential area without detriment to its amenity:

• E(g)(i) Offices to carry out any operational or administrative functions,
• E(g)(ii) Research and development of products or processes
• E(g)(iii) Industrial processes

Question 5

What sub-classes fall within Use Class F?

Answer 5

F1 Learning and non-residential institutions – Use (not including residential use) defined in 7 parts:

• F1(a) Provision of education
• F1(b) Display of works of art (otherwise than for sale or hire)
• F1(c) Museums
• F1(d) Public libraries or public reading rooms
• F1(e) Public halls or exhibition halls
• F1(f) Public worship or religious instruction (or in connection with such use)
• F1(g) Law courts

F2 Local community – Use as defined in 4 parts:

• F2(a) Shops (mostly) selling essential goods, including food, where the shop’s premises do not exceed 280 square metres and there is no other such facility within 1000 metres
• F2(b) Halls or meeting places for the principal use of the local community
• F2(c) Areas or places for outdoor sport or recreation (not involving motorised vehicles or firearms)
• F2(d) Indoor or outdoor swimming pools or skating rinks

Question 6

What uses fall within the ‘Sui Generis’ class?

PP is required to change to and from a sui generis use

Answer 6

• theatres
• amusement arcades/centres or funfairs
• launderettes
• fuel stations
• hiring, selling and/or displaying motor vehicles
• taxi businesses
• scrap yards, or a yard for the storage/distribution of minerals and/or the breaking of motor vehicles
• ‘Alkali work’ (any work registerable under the Alkali, etc. Works Regulation Act 1906 (as amended))
• hostels (providing no significant element of care)
• waste disposal installations for the incineration, chemical treatment or landfill of hazardous waste
• retail warehouse clubs
• nightclubs
• casinos
• betting offices/shops
• pay day loan shops
• public houses, wine bars, or drinking establishments
• drinking establishments with expanded food provision
• hot food takeaways (for the sale of hot food where consumption of that food is mostly undertaken off the premises)
• venues for live music performance
• cinemas
• concert halls
• bingo halls
• dance halls