Class U – return to a previous use from converted school or nursery

Class U allows for the return to the previous use following a permitted development change under Class T.
 
It is a very simple change of use consisting of just 3 lines of legislation. 

Class T allowed for the change of use from a business, hotels, residential institution, assembly and leisure or more latterly Use Class E to either a state funded school or registered nursery – all Class U allows for is the reversal of this. Note that although Class T no longer allows for conversion to a registered nursery, you can still use Class U to convert back from a nursery. 

There is no need to contact the local authority should you opt to use Class U, but it must return to the previous use. Some of those uses have now been replaced by Use Class E.

Class U is not the only way land can go back to an earlier use without a fresh application. Where a council has issued an enforcement notice, a separate right in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 can allow a return to the use that was there before the breach. That is a different mechanism with different limits, and it is covered on our page about reverting to a previous lawful use.

The full legislation (what there is) for Class U is shown below.

Legislation

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

Permitted development

U. Development consisting of a change of use of land from a use permitted by Class T to the previous lawful use of the land.

Page updated: 6th August 2026