Commercial properties are covered by The Town and Country Planning (Uses Classes) Order 1987, which divides the uses of business properties and land into different categories.
Class Guide
Use Classes Use Classes Description General Development
Order 1987 Order 1972 Order 1988
A1 Shops Class I Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, dry cleaners, etc Pet shops, cats-meat shops, tripe shops, sandwich bars Showrooms, domestic hire shops, funeral directors No permitted change
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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
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A3 Food and Drink Restaurants, pubs, snack bars, cafés, wine bars, shops for sale of hot food Permitted change to A1 or A2
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Sui Generis Shops selling and/or displaying motor vehicles Permitted change to A1
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Launderettes, taxi or vehicle hire businesses, amusement centres, petrol filling stations No permitted change
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B1 Business Class II and Class III Offices, not within A2, Research and development studios, laboratories, high tech Light industry Permitted change to B8 where no more than 235sqm
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B2 General Industrial Class IV-IX General industrial Permitted change to B1 or B8 B8 limited to no more than 235 sqm
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B8 Storage and distribution Class X Wholesale warehouse, distribution centres, repositories Permitted change to B1 where no more than 235 sqm
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Sui Generis N/A Any work registrable under the Alkali, etc. Works Regulation Act, 1906 No permitted change
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C1 Hotels Class XI Hotels, boarding and guest houses No permitted change
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C2 Residential Institutions Class XII and Class XIV Residential schools and colleges Hospitals and convalescent/nursing homes No permitted change
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C3 Dwelling Houses N/A Dwellings, small businesses at home, communal housing of elderly and handicapped (Six or less residents unless living together as a family.) No permitted change
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Sui Generis N/A Hostel No permitted change
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D1 Non-residential Institutions Class XIII, Class XV, and Class XVI Places of worship, church halls Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, consulting rooms Museums, public halls, libraries, art galleries, exhibition halls Non-residential education and training centres No permitted change
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D2 Assembly and Leisure Class XVII and Class XVIII Cinemas, music and concert halls Dance, sports halls, swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums Other indoor and outdoor sports and leisure uses, bingo halls, casinos No permitted change
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Sui Generis Class XVII Theatres No permitted change