Use Classes Order 2020 Explained: Can You Change Your Property's Use?

What the Use Classes Order does

The Use Classes Order categorises every building in England by its permitted use. The system exists so local authorities can control how land is used. The 2020 reform was the biggest shake-up in decades, merging several old categories into broader groups.

The main use classes after the 2020 reform

Class E -- Commercial, Business and Service

The big one. Class E merged the old A1 (shops), A2 (financial services), A3 (restaurants/cafes), and B1 (offices/light industrial) into a single class. A building in Class E can switch between shop, restaurant, office, gym, medical clinic, or creche without planning permission.

Class F.1 -- Learning and Non-Residential Institutions

Covers schools, museums, libraries, art galleries, public halls, and places of worship.

Class F.2 -- Local Community

Small shops under 280 sqm (where no other exists within 1,000m), community halls, outdoor sports areas, swimming pools.

Class C -- Residential

C1: Hotels. C2: Residential institutions (care homes, hospitals). C3: Dwelling houses. C4: Houses in Multiple Occupation (3-6 unrelated tenants).

Sui Generis

Uses outside any class: pubs, takeaways, cinemas, theatres, petrol stations, large HMOs (7+ people). Any change from or to sui generis requires planning permission -- no PD escape route.

Key permitted changes

Within Class E: Completely free. Move from office to cafe to gym without any application.

Class E to C3 (residential): Permitted under GPDO Class MA with prior approval. Conditions: 2 years in Class E use, 3 months vacancy, 1,500 sqm floor limit. Council assesses transport, contamination, flooding, noise, natural light, fire safety only.

C3 to C4 (small HMO): Permitted development under GPDO Class L. But many councils have Article 4 Directions removing this right.

The manual process

Establishing the current use class, cross-referencing the GPDO for permitted changes, checking for local Article 4 Directions, verifying size limits and vacancy requirements. It requires navigating multiple legislation documents and checking the local plan.

How UrbanCode validates any change of use

UrbanCode's Analyst Agent encodes the entire Use Classes Order 2020 and GPDO permitted change rules. Provide the current use class, proposed use class, and postcode. It returns whether the change is permitted, whether prior approval is required, what matters need assessment, and whether site-specific constraints restrict PD rights at that location.

For property investors evaluating conversion opportunities, this turns hours of research into a near-instant check.

Try this yourself at urbancode.ai