Changes to the Use Classes Order have been announced by the Government through the publication of The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 and will come into force on the 1st of September 2020.
The regulations amend the use classes order to create a new ‘Class E’ encompassing the former use classes A1 (Shops), Class A2 (Financial and professional services), Class A3 (Restaurants and cafes) and Class B1 (Business). The effect of this change will be that qualifying premises will be able to change between those uses without the need for planning permission.
The regulations also create a new use class F1 encompassing learning and non-residential institutions and F2 ‘Local community’ and will replace some of the use classes that were previously specified to fall within use classes D1 and D2. The new class F2 local community uses are stated to include halls, places for outdoor sports and recreation as well as local shops that sell mostly selling essential goods, including food, to visiting members of the public, where the shop’s premises cover an area not more than 280 metres square and there is no other such facility within 1,000 metre radius of the shop’s location.
The update is a significant change to planning regulations and forms a part of the Government’s stated aim to simplify the current system of use classes in England.
If you have any questions regarding the new regulations please do not hesitate to contact Spruce Town Planning Ltd.
