Looking to erect, extend or alter an industrial building or warehouse? Have you considered exploring whether Class H permitted development rights might be a suitable route – especially if you need to act quickly. We recently explored this very issue for a client who was seeking to remodel their site to assist business operations and storage solutions and needed to do so swiftly.
What is Class H permitted development rights?
Class H, or to provide its full title, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, No. 596, SCHEDULE 2, PART 7, Class H – extensions etc of industrial and warehouse, makes provision for the erection, extension or alteration of an industrial building or a warehouse, or the maintenance, improvement or other alteration of such a building or enclosure.
There are of course a range of caveats that need to be considered when applying for Class H. These include but aren’t limited to:
- The gross floor space of the new building;
- The gross floor space of the original building;
- The height of the new building;
- The height of the building as extended or altered;
- Proximity to boundary;
- Impact on parking and highways;
- Proximity to listed buildings.
When to use Class H
For this client – after an initial review of their plans, we identified that they would not meet Class H restrictions. We worked with the applicant to make adjustments to ensure that the proposal would meet the necessary criteria, whilst also fulfilling their business objectives.
By working with the client to make changes to the proposal to ensure it would meet the requirements of Class H permitted development, we avoided the need for a full planning application. The result was that we could seek a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) to confirm that what was proposed was permitted development, rather than seeking full planning permission, an application for which would need to be supported by numerous technical reports and would be subject to consultation and consideration against planning policy.
We pulled the necessary information together for the LDC and wrote a supporting statement to accompany the application, explaining the need for the new building and setting out how it complied with the criteria set down within Class H. The application was dealt with in a timely manner by the LPA and no issues arose during the determination period as all plans and documentation met the necessary validation requirements.
The site was within a Primary Industrial and Commercial Area with a site history of B1, B2, and B8 use classes. Thanks to our careful review and input into plan revisions, the proposal met the requirements of Class H and the proposals were found to be lawful. Our client was understandably delighted that our involvement streamlined the application process for them and the outcome is a swift determination which will enable the remodelling of the site to include new functionality and safety features into their operations.
If you would like to expand your industrial premises, to include additional warehousing, storage or office space, contact us to discuss your requirements, we would be delighted to provide a quote for our services.
About us
We are Plainview Planning, now part of McLoughlin Planning – a solutions orientated, experienced and knowledgeable team of planning consultants. If you need professional and informed planning support with your development project, then contact our team via enquiries@plainview.co.uk, or call us on 01242 501003, providing the site address and a brief overview of your project. We look forward to helping you.
We value your privacy and any information which you provide will not be shared outside of our company and will only be used in relation to your enquiry.
References
The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015; UK Statutory Instruments, 2015 No. 596, SCHEDULE 2, PART 7, Class H – extensions etc of industrial and warehouse