Use class designation for land and buildings

The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order categorises uses of land and buildings. Developments may not be used for purposes that are not within the use class for which they received planning permission.

Changing the use of a development from one class to another may require planning permission, although changes of use may be permitted without the need for a planning application for certain allowable uses (for example, changing a restaurant into a shop).

For a schedule of permitted use class changes, see guidance on the Planning Portal and Permitted development.

Use classes are defined as follows (see The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order Schedule):

A1. Shops - Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, pet shops, sandwich bars, showrooms, domestic hire shops, dry cleaners, funeral directors and internet cafes. NOTE: Class A was revoked from 1 September 2020. Class A 1/2/3 were effectively replaced with Use Class E (a,b,c). A4/5 uses were not covered by Use Class E and became defined as ‘Sui Generis’.
A2. Financial and professional services - Financial services such as banks and building societies, professional services (other than health and medical services) and including estate and employment agencies. It does not include betting offices or pay day loan shops. NOTE: Class A was revoked from 1 September 2020 Class A 1/2/3 were effectively replaced with Use Class E (a,b,c). A4/5 uses were not covered by Use Class E and became defined as ‘Sui Generis’.
A3. Restaurants and cafes - For the sale of food and drink for consumption on the premises - restaurants, snack bars and cafes. NOTE: Class A was revoked from 1 September 2020. Class A 1/2/3 were effectively replaced with Use Class E (a,b,c). A4/5 uses were not covered by Use Class E and became defined as ‘Sui Generis’.
A4. Drinking establishments - Public houses, wine bars or other drinking establishments (but not night clubs) including drinking establishments with expanded food provision. NOTE: Class A was revoked from 1 September 2020. A4/5 uses were not covered by Use Class E and became defined as ‘Sui Generis’.
A5. Hot food takeaways - For the sale of hot food for consumption off the premises. NOTE: Class A was revoked from 1 September 2020. A4/5 uses were not covered by Use Class E and became defined as ‘Sui Generis’.

B1. Business - Offices (other than those that fall within A2), research and development of products and processes, light industry appropriate in a residential area. NOTE: B1 Business was revoked from 1 September 2020. It is effectively replaced with the new Class E(g). B1 Business – Uses which can be carried out in a residential area without detriment to its amenity. This class was formed of three parts: B1(a) Offices - Other than a use within Class A2, B1(b) Research and development of products or processes, B1(c) Industrial processes.
B2. General industrial - Use for industrial process other than one falling within class B1 (excluding incineration purposes, chemical treatment or landfill or hazardous waste) (Use Classes B2 and B8 remain valid)
B3. Special industrial group A (registrable under the Alkali, etc. Works Regulation Act). NOTE: Use Classes B3 was revoked in 1992.
B4. Special industrial group B (getting, dressing or treatment of minerals carried on, in, or adjacent to a quarry or mine). B4 to B7 were revoked in 1995 were used to call out specific industrial uses.
B5. Special industrial group C (burning bricks or pipes; burning lime or dolomite; producing zinc oxide, cement or alumina; foaming, crushing, screening or heating minerals or slag; processing pulverized fuel ash by heat; producing carbonate of lime or hydrated lime; producing inorganic pigments by calcining, roasting or grinding). B4 to B7 were revoked in 1995 were used to call out specific industrial uses.
B6. Special industrial group D (distilling, refining or blending oils; producing or using cellulose or using other pressure sprayed metal finishes; boiling linseed oil or running gum; the use of hot pitch or bitumen; stoving enamelled ware; producing aliphatic esters of the lower fatty acids, butyric acid, caramel, hexamine, iodoform, napthols, resin products, salicylic acid or sulphonated organic compounds; producing rubber from scrap; use of chlorphenols or chlorcresols as intermediates; manufacturing acetylene from calcium carbide; manufacturing, recovering or using pyridine or picolines, any methyl or ethyl amine or acrylates). B4 to B7 were revoked in 1995 were used to call out specific industrial uses.
B7. Special industrial group E (boiling blood, chitterlings, nettlings or soap; boiling, burning, grinding or steaming bones; boiling or cleaning tripe; breeding maggots; cleaning, adapting or treating animal hair; curing fish; dealing in rags and bones; dressing or scraping fish skins; drying skins; making manure; making or scraping guts; manufacturing animal charcoal, blood albumen, candles, catgut, glue, fish oil, size or feeding stuff for animals or poultry from meat, fish, blood, bone, feathers, fat or animal offal; melting, refining or extracting fat or tallow; preparing skins for working). B4 to B7 were revoked in 1995 were used to call out specific industrial uses.
B8. Storage or distribution - This class includes open air storage. Use Classes B2 and B8 remain valid.

C1. Hotels and hostels - 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
C3. Dwelling houses

D1. Non-residential institutions - Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, schools, art galleries (other than for sale or hire), museums, libraries, halls, places of worship, church halls, law court. Non-residential education and training centres. NOTE: Class D was revoked from 1 September 2020. D1 was split out and replaced by the new Classes E(e-f) and F1.
D2. Assembly and leisure - Cinemas, music and concert halls, bingo and dance halls (but not night clubs), swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums or area for indoor or outdoor sports and recreations (except for motor sports, or where firearms are used). NOTE: Class D was revoked from 1 September 2020. D2 was split out and replaced by the new Classes E(d) and F2(c-d) as well as several newly defined ‘Sui Generis’ uses.

The description of these classes is for guidance only. It is the responsibility of the local planning authority to decide which class a use falls into, depending on its particular circumstances.

[edit] Sui Generis

Certain uses do not fall within any use class and are considered 'sui generis'. Such uses include: betting offices/shops, pay day loan shops, theatres, larger houses in multiple occupation, hostels providing no significant element of care, scrap yards. Petrol filling stations and shops selling and/or displaying motor vehicles. Retail warehouse clubs, nightclubs, launderettes, taxi businesses and casinos. This category was expanded as other classes were revoked September 2020.

'Sui generis' is a Latin term that, in this context, means ‘in a class of its own’., such as:

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 – from 1 September 2020, previously Class A4
drinking establishments with expanded food provision – from 1 September 2020, previously Class A4
hot food takeaways (for the sale of hot food where consumption of that food is mostly undertaken off the premises) – from 1 September 2020, previously Class A5
venues for live music performance – newly defined as ‘Sui Generis’ use from 1 September 2020
cinemas – from 1 September 2020, previously Class D2(a)
concert halls – from 1 September 2020, previously Class D2(b)
bingo halls – from 1 September 2020, previously Class D2(c)
dance halls – from 1 September 2020, previously Class D2(d)