Part 3: Permitted changes of use

Part 3 of the General Permitted Development Order 2015 (GPDO) grants planning permission for certain changes of use in England, without a full planning application. Some rights still require a prior-approval application under Paragraph W before you begin. Others require notification or have no application procedure. The requirements vary by Class.

However not all changes of use require the use of the GPDO.

First establish whether the proposal amounts to a material change of use at all. Our change of use planning guide explains when permission is needed and how the Use Classes Order, Part 3 rights, planning conditions and Article 4 restrictions fit together.

Planning permission is not needed when the existing and the proposed uses fall within the same ‘use class’, or if The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) (GPDO) says that changes of use is permitted to another specified ‘use class’.

For example, a greengrocer’s shop could be changed to a shoe shop without the need for planning permission as these uses fall within the same ‘use class’, and a restaurant can generally change to a shop or estate agency because these activities fall within Class E, without needing a Part 3 right. Always check whether the existing and proposed activities genuinely fall within Class E, as well as any relevant planning conditions or other restrictions.

Whilst a change of use might not need permission, any external building work associated with a change of use may still require planning permission.

The tables mentioned below of permanent changes in Schedule 2 Part 3 simplifies the complex legislation and should be read as a guide only, and in conjunction with the additional comments and restrictions on both those pages and also within each separate class within Part 3.  In addition to the permanent permissions within Part 3, there are a number of temporary changes in Schedule 2 Part 4 these are covered here.

We have two quick reference tables to assist you in changes of use via the GPDO. 

1 – Changes of use via use class – see what options exist for your building in a particular use class

2 – Where you can use the GPDO to change the use. Can you use it in a Conservation Area or AONB for example? 

The various Classes within Part 3 are as follows. The legal tests below relate to England and should be checked against the amended legislation, together with Paragraph X definitions. Check your planning history, any Article 4 direction, planning conditions and all relevant prior-approval requirements before proceeding.

Class A – casino, betting office, payday loan shop or hot food takeaway to commercial, business and service (Use Class E)

Class AA – drinking establishments with expanded food provision

Class G – commercial, business and service or betting office or pay day loan shop to mixed use

Class H – mixed use to commercial, business and service or betting office or pay day loan shop

Class I – industrial conversions (Use Class B2 to Use Class B8)

Class L – small HMOs to dwellinghouses and vice versa (C3 to C4 or C4 to C3)

Class M – certain uses to dwellinghouses (Launderette, Betting office, payday loan shop, hot food takeaway to C3)

Class MA – commercial, business and service uses to dwellinghouses (Use Class E to C3)

Class N – specified sui generis uses to dwellinghouses (Casino or Amusement arcade to C3)

Class O – offices to dwellinghouses (now defunct)

Class P – storage or distribution centre to dwellinghouses (now defunct)

Class PA – premises in light industrial use to dwellinghouses (now defunct)

Class Q – agricultural buildings to dwellinghouses

Class R – agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use

Class S – agricultural buildings to state-funded school

Class T – commercial, business and service, hotels etc to state-funded schools

Class U – return to previous use from converted state-funded school or registered nursery

Class V – changes of use permitted under a permission granted on an application

Paragraph W – procedure for submitting an application

Paragraph X – definition of words and descriptions used within Part 3

Page Updated: 16th April 2025

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