Prior to the General Election in 2015, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) announced a number of changes to the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) and Use Class Order. These changes consolidated many of the previous amendments, but also introduced a number of new alterations.

Whilst some commercial and householder changes of use have become easier through new permitted development rights (PDR), these remain subject to a prior approval process and come with several caveats. For example there can by limitations to the amount of floorspace which can be converted, and there are certain areas where PDR’s will not apply including National Parks, an AONB, within the curtilage of Listed Building.

The dedicated team at Plainview Planning are effective at preparing robust change of use applications and presenting the right arguments to support your case. We can also help prepare suitable supporting documentation including market analysis and viability studies. Our wide ranging experience stems from gyms, yoga studios, places of worship to small supermarkets, hotels and homes.