Class N - Hard surfaces for schools, colleges, universities or hospitals

Class N – Hard surfaces for schools, colleges, universities or hospitals

If you run a school or other educational facility or a hospital you may be able to create or replace a hard surface without the need for planning permission.

The maximum area within the curtilage of the site created after 6th April 2010 is limited to 50 sq m. You cannot hard surface a playing field if that area has been used as a playing field in the last 5 years. You are also prevented from using Class N in the curtilage of a listed building.

Unless there is a risk of groundwater contamination any new surfaces must be either prorous or provision made for the run-off water to be dealt with properly.

If you have a residential property, please see Class F of Part 1. For industrial and warehouses see Class J of this part.

Legislation

Class N – hard surfaces for schools, colleges, universities or hospitals

Permitted development

N. Development consisting of—

(a) the provision of a hard surface within the curtilage of any school, college, university or hospital to be used for the purposes of that school, college, university or hospital; or

(b) the replacement in whole or in part of such a surface.

Development not permitted

N.1 Development is not permitted by Class N if—

(a) the cumulative area of ground covered by a hard surface within the curtilage of the site (other than hard surfaces already existing on 6th April 2010) would exceed 50 square metres;

(b) as a result of the development, any land used as a playing field at any time in the 5 years before the development commenced and remaining in this use could no longer be so used; or

Conditions

N.2 Development is permitted by Class N subject to the following conditions—

(a) where there is a risk of groundwater contamination, the hard surface is not made of porous materials; and

(b) in all other cases, either—
(i) the hard surface is made of porous materials, or
(ii) provision is made to direct run-off water from the hard surface to a permeable or porous area or surface within the curtilage of the institution.

Educational hard surfaces Page Updated: 4th August 2023