A1    Shops

Shops, Retail Warehouses, Post Offices, Ticket and Travel Agents, Hairdressers, Funeral Director & Undertakers, Domestic Hire Shops, Dry Cleaners, Sandwich Bars - Sandwiches or other cold food purchased and consumed off the premises, Internet Cafes and Cyber Cafes.

No Permitted Change except to mixed use as a shop and single flat and vice versa

A2    Financial &
         Professional      
         Services

Financial Services (Banks, Building Societies and Bureau de Change), Professional Services (excluding Heath or Medical Services) (Estate Agents and Employment Agencies).  Other Services – Betting Shops.  Principally where services are provided to visiting members of the public.

A1 (where there is a ground floor display window) plus as above.

A3    Restaurant &
         Cafes

Restaurants, Snack Bars and Cafes – Use for the sale of food for consumption on the premises.

A1 or A2

A4    Drinking
         Establishments

Use as a Public House, Wine-Bar or other Drinking Establishment.  The primary purpose is the sale and consumption of alcoholic drink on the premises.

A1, A2 or A3

A5    Hot
         Food Takeaway

Use for the sale of hot food for consumption off the premises.

A1, A2 or A3

B1    Business

(a)  Offices other than in a use within Class A2 (Financial & Professional
      Services).
(b)  Research and Development – Laboratories, Studios.
(c)  Light industry.

B8 (where no more than 235 sq m)

B2    General Industrial

General Industry (other than classified as in B1).
The former ‘Special Industrial Use Classes, B3 – B7 are all now encompassed in the B2 Use Class.

B1 (unlimited) or B8 (where no more than 235 sq m)

B8    Storage or
         Distribution

Storage or Distribution Centres.

B1 (where no more than 235 sq m)

C1    Hotels

Hotels, Boarding Houses & Guest Houses.
Development falls within this class if ‘no significant element of care is provided’.

No Permitted Change

C2    Residential
         Institutions

Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Residential School and Training Centres.  Use for the provision of residential accommodation and care to people in need of care.

No Permitted Change

C2A Secure
         Residential
         Institution

Use for a provision of secure residential accommodation, including use as a prison, young offenders institute, detention centre, secure training centre, custody centre, short term holding centre, secure hospital, secure local authority accommodation or use as a military barracks.

No Permitted Change

C3    Dwelling-houses

Dwellings for individuals, families or not more than six people living together as a single household.

No Permitted Change

D1    Non-Residential
         Institutions

Medical & Health Services, Creche, Day Nursery, Day Centres, Museums, Public Halls, Libraries, Art Galleries, Exhibition Halls, Non-residential Education and Training Centres, Places of Worship, Church Halls, Law Courts.

No Permitted Charge

D2    Assembly &
         Leisure

Cinemas, Concert Halls, Sports Halls, Swimming Baths, Skating Rinks, Gymnasiums, Bingo Halls.  Other indoor and outdoor Sports & Leisure Uses, not involving motorised vehicles or firearms.

No Permitted Charge

Sui Generis

There are many uses that are not specifically categorised by the four main use classes.  These uses are classified as Sui Generis.  For example:  Petrol Stations, Retail Warehouse Clubs, Amusement Arcades, Laundrettes, Taxi or Vehicle Hire Businesses and the Selling & Displaying of Motor Vehicles, Nightclubs, Theatres, Hostels, Builders Yards, Scrap Yards, Casinos.

No Permitted Charge (except Casinos:  permitted change from Sui Generis to D2)