Class E – temporary use for filmmaking purposes

Class E of Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the GPDO gives a temporary permitted development right for commercial filmmaking on land or in buildings in England. It is completely separate from Use Class E, which covers commercial, business and service uses.

Where the right applies, land or buildings can be used for commercial filmmaking for up to 12 months in any 27-month period. It can also cover the temporary structures, works, plant and machinery needed for the production, such as sets, lighting rigs, generators and other temporary equipment.

Class E is not a simple “turn up and film” right. Before each new filming period, the developer must apply to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether prior approval is required. The authority can consider the filming dates and hours, transport and highways, noise, artificial lighting and flood risk.

See the other temporary-use permitted development rights in Part 4.

Key limits for Class E filmmaking

 
The right is useful, but there are firm limits:

• the land in question, or the land on which the building is situated, must not exceed 3 hectares
• the filming use cannot include overnight accommodation
• temporary structures, works, plant or machinery must not exceed 20 metres in height, or 5 metres where any part is within 10 metres of the curtilage of the land
• temporary structures, works, plant and machinery must be removed as soon as practicable after each filming period
• the land must be reinstated as soon as reasonably practicable after the filming period ends

The 3-hectare test is worth checking carefully on a large site. The wording refers to the land in question, or the land on which the building is situated, rather than simply the footprint occupied by cameras and equipment.
 

Where Class E cannot be used

 
Class E does not apply on article 2(3) land. This includes conservation areas, National Landscapes (legally Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the Broads, National Parks and World Heritage Sites, together with certain land specified under section 41(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The right is also unavailable where the land or building is, or forms part of, a site of special scientific interest, a safety hazard area, a military explosives storage area or a scheduled monument. It cannot be used for a listed building or land or buildings within the curtilage of a listed building.

These are exclusions from the permitted development right itself. A conservation area or listed building is therefore not simply an extra prior approval issue.
 

What counts as commercial filmmaking?

 
For Class E, commercial filmmaking means filming for broadcast or transmission. That can include television, commercial transmission over the internet and theatrical cinema release.

The statutory definition of a filming period also includes activities preparatory to, or otherwise related to, the filmmaking. Set-up and other related production activity should therefore be included when working out how much of the 12-month allowance has been used.

The definition specifically excludes filming people who pay to visit the site to take part in leisure activities such as motor sport, clay pigeon shooting or war games. Class E is not a route for turning a leisure use into a film-related temporary use.
 

Prior approval before filming starts

 
Before the start of each new filming period, an application must be made to the local planning authority. The application must include a written description of the proposal, a plan showing the site and proposed development, contact details, a site-specific flood risk assessment and the required fee.

The local planning authority can consider the schedule of filming dates and hours, transport and highways impacts, noise, artificial lighting and flooding. It can also require further information reasonably needed to assess those matters, including impact assessments and proposed mitigation.

Development must not begin until the authority has confirmed that prior approval is not required, has granted prior approval, or the 56-day determination period has expired without the authority notifying the applicant whether prior approval is given or refused.
 

Class E does not replace other permissions

Class E deals with planning permission only. It does not give a production the right to enter or use somebody else’s land, close a road, suspend parking controls, occupy the highway, fly a drone, carry out protected tree works or override ecological, heritage or other statutory controls.

Not every small or genuinely incidental film shoot will necessarily amount to development in planning terms. Class E becomes important where the temporary use or associated works would otherwise require planning permission. If the proposal falls outside the Class E limits, a planning application may be needed instead.

Class B or Class E for a film shoot?

A short shoot does not automatically mean that Class B is the right route, and a film production does not automatically have to use Class E. The detail of the location and the production set-up matters.

• Class B can potentially cover temporary use of land for commercial filmmaking for up to 28 days in a calendar year. It applies to land rather than a building or land within the curtilage of a building, can include moveable structures needed for the temporary use and has no prior approval procedure. It cannot, however, be used for the siting of any caravan except for the narrow festival exception
• Class E is the specific commercial filmmaking right. It can apply to land or buildings for up to 12 months in any 27-month period and can include temporary structures, works, plant and machinery required for the production. It requires the prior approval procedure before each new filming period, is limited to sites of no more than 3 hectares and cannot include overnight accommodation. It is also unavailable on a number of protected or designated sites

For a production, the choice can therefore turn on the unit base, structures, site designations and relationship with nearby buildings just as much as the number of filming days. Our Class B temporary use guide explains the 28-day route in more detail.

Production trailers, caravans and unit bases

Production bases can be one of the easiest places to make the wrong planning assumption. Film crews may bring artist trailers, make-up and costume units, production offices, dining units, welfare facilities, camera and grip trailers, generators and other specialist vehicles or moveable units onto a site. The name used by the production does not decide their planning status.

For planning purposes, the GPDO uses the statutory definition of a caravan in section 29 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, read with the twin-unit provisions in section 13 of the Caravan Sites Act 1968. Broadly, the unit must be designed or adapted for human habitation and have the necessary quality of mobility. A unit can still be a caravan even if its present use is as a daytime welfare facility, office or green room rather than somewhere to sleep. Conversely, an equipment, camera, grip or generator trailer is not automatically a caravan simply because it is towed to site.

The main caravan authorities are useful here: Wyre Forest confirms the importance of the statutory definition, Carter requires the relevant structure to possess the necessary mobility, and Bury shows that a conclusion on mobility needs an evidential basis.

This matters because Class B, the general 28-day temporary use right, now expressly excludes the siting of any caravan apart from a narrow festival exception. Class E contains no equivalent express caravan exclusion. Instead, it permits temporary structures, works, plant or machinery required in connection with the filmmaking use, while separately prohibiting use of the land for overnight accommodation.

There does not appear to be a reported planning judgment dealing specifically with a modern film production trailer under Class E. Productions should therefore avoid assuming that every unit base vehicle falls into the same category. Where the distinction matters, the specification, internal layout, method of transport and intended use of the particular unit should be checked.

See our caravan planning guide, 28-day rule and caravans guide and guide to when a caravan can also raise building questions.

Woodland, SSSIs and protected trees

Woodland locations can bring several separate controls into play. Class E itself is unavailable where the land or the site on which a building is located is or forms part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Class B does not contain the same blanket SSSI exclusion for filmmaking, but that does not override the separate protection of the SSSI.

Natural England advises that an owner or occupier may need written consent before carrying out operations listed for the particular SSSI, and that consent may also be needed for other activities capable of damaging the site, including third-party events or surveying. The relevant SSSI notification and list of operations requiring consent should therefore be checked as part of location due diligence. See Natural England’s current SSSI guidance.

Protected trees are another separate issue. Permitted development does not generally remove the need for consent for works to a tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order. Government guidance specifically distinguishes full planning permission from development carried out under the GPDO: tree works needed to implement permitted development can still require TPO consent. Trees in conservation areas, felling licences, protected species and ancient or veteran trees may introduce further controls.

For woodland filming this means that pruning, felling, root disturbance, access works or other activity affecting protected trees should be identified early and discussed with the production’s ecologist or arboricultural adviser where appropriate. A planning route for the filming is not permission to damage a protected tree or habitat.

Filming permissions, highways and road closures

A planning route is only one part of a location assessment. There is no single national “filming licence” which covers every location. Depending on ownership, the site and the scale of the shoot, the production may instead need the landowner’s agreement, permission from a council or film office, a filming permit or notice of no objection, parking suspensions or dispensations, highway consent, traffic management arrangements or a temporary road closure.

Outside London, Filming in England provides a route into local film offices and councils. In London, Film London and the relevant Borough Film Service are normally the first point of contact for public locations. Road closure procedures and lead times vary substantially between highway authorities, and complex closures can require many weeks of notice. In Greater London there is also a specific statutory power for road restrictions and closures for filmmaking under Part 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2008.

For a location which needs road control, technical parking, removal of street furniture, large vehicle access or a unit base on or close to the highway, these issues should be identified while locations are still being shortlisted rather than after the site has been chosen.

Drones and aerial filming

Drone feasibility is worth checking at the same time as the planning position. The current UK drone regime is risk-based rather than simply dividing flights into commercial and recreational operations. Low-risk commercial flying can take place in the CAA’s Open Category where all of its limits are met, while more complex operations fall within the Specific Category and require an operational authorisation.

A film location that looks straightforward on the ground may be awkward from the air because of nearby aerodromes and Flight Restriction Zones, temporary airspace restrictions, crowds or uninvolved people, neighbouring buildings, roads, public access, local byelaws or the need to control the take-off and landing area. The CAA also requires third-party insurance as a minimum where a drone is flown for a purpose other than recreation, sport or hobby. The production’s drone operator remains responsible for the flight, its risk assessment, insurance and any CAA authorisation, but these constraints can still affect whether a location is practical.

Planning Geek can flag obvious drone and airspace issues as part of a location appraisal, drawing on practical commercial drone-flying experience in property work. This is intended as an early site-screening check rather than a substitute for the production’s specialist drone operator. For the current aviation rules see the UK Civil Aviation Authority drone guidance.

What should be checked before committing to a film location?

For an initial location appraisal it is useful to have:

• the site address or plan and the approximate area that would be used
• the proposed prep, build, filming and strike dates
• details and approximate dimensions of sets, temporary structures, lighting rigs, generators and other equipment
• the proposed unit base, including artist, welfare, make-up, costume, production and equipment trailers
• whether any overnight accommodation is proposed
• crew, cast and vehicle numbers and any technical parking requirements
• any need for road closures, traffic control, parking suspensions or use of the public highway
• whether drone filming is anticipated
• known ecological, tree, heritage or other site constraints
• the likely hours of operation and any substantial lighting, noise, special effects or other unusual activity

The point is not to turn every location into a planning exercise. It is to identify quickly which sites are straightforward, which need another permission or specialist input and which could create a timetable problem if they are left until production is committed.

The 2023 changes to Class E

 
Class E was widened in July 2023. The maximum filming period increased from 9 months to 12 months in any 27-month period, the maximum site area doubled from 1.5 hectares to 3 hectares, and the general height limit for temporary structures, works, plant and machinery increased from 15 metres to 20 metres. The existing prior approval process was retained.

The current Class E wording is reproduced below for ease of reference. The 2023 amendments are set out in The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2023.

Need a film location checked before you commit?

A location can look ideal for a production and still create a planning problem.

Planning Geek can review a proposed filming location before you commit significant time or money to it. We can check the planning history and obvious site constraints, consider whether Class B, Class E or another planning route is available, identify likely prior approval requirements and flag issues around production trailers, unit bases, highways, road closures and drone feasibility which may affect the location or timetable.

For production teams looking at several possible locations, we can screen sites individually or in batches so that planning and related location constraints are identified early in the selection process. Where an issue sits outside planning, we can flag it for the production team or the appropriate specialist rather than pretending that one consent covers everything.

If you have a location in mind, send us the site details together with the approximate area required, the proposed structures and production units, and the expected prep, build, filming and strike periods. We can then confirm the scope and fee for the review.

Fees and appeals

A Class E prior approval application carries a fee, so check the current charge on our planning fees page. If prior approval is refused, including a refusal because the authority considers the proposal outside Class E or inadequately evidenced, the decision can normally be taken through the planning appeal process.

Filmmaking Legislation

Class E – temporary use of buildings or land for filmmaking purposes

Permitted development

E. Development consisting of—
(a) the temporary use of any land or buildings for a period not exceeding 12 months in any 27 month period for the purpose of commercial filmmaking; and

(b) the provision on such land, during the filming period, of any temporary structures, works, plant or machinery required in connection with that use.

Development not permitted

E.1 Development is not permitted by Class E if—
(a) the land in question, or the land on which the building in question is situated, is more than 3 hectares;

(b) the use of the land is for overnight accommodation;

(c) the height of any temporary structure, works, plant or machinery provided under Class E(b) exceeds 20 metres, or 5 metres where any part of the structure, works, plant or machinery is within 10 metres of the curtilage of the land;

(d) the land or building is on article 2(3) land;

(e) the land or the site on which the building is located is or forms part of—
(i) a site of special scientific interest;
(ii) a safety hazard area; or
(iii) a military explosives storage area;

(f) the land or building is, or contains, a scheduled monument; or

(g) the land or building is a listed building or is within the curtilage of a listed building.

Conditions

E.2—(1) Class E development is permitted subject to the condition that—
(a) any structure, works, plant or machinery provided under the permission must, as soon as practicable after the end of each filming period, be removed from the land; and

(b) the land on which any development permitted by Class E has been carried out must, as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of the filming period, be reinstated to its condition before that development was carried out.

(2) Class E development is permitted subject to the condition that before the start of each new filming period the developer must apply to the local planning authority for a determination as to whether the prior approval of the authority will be required as to—
(a) the schedule of dates which make up the filming period in question and the hours of operation,

(b) transport and highways impacts of the development,

(c) noise impacts of the development,

(d) light impacts of the development, in particular the effect on any occupier of neighbouring land of any artificial lighting to be used, and

(e) flooding risks on the site, and the provisions of paragraph E.3 apply in relation to that application.

Procedure for applications for prior approval under Class E

E.3—(1) The following provisions apply where under Class E a developer is required to make an application to a local planning authority for a determination as to whether the prior approval of the authority will be required.

(2) The application must be accompanied by—
(a) a written description of the proposed development;

(b) a plan indicating the site and showing the proposed development;

(c) the developer’s contact address;

(d) the developer’s email address if the developer is content to receive communications electronically; and

(e) a site-specific flood risk assessment, together with any fee required to be paid.

(3) The local planning authority may refuse an application where, in the opinion of the authority—
(a) the proposed development does not comply with, or

(b) the developer has provided insufficient information to enable the authority to establish whether the proposed development complies with, any conditions, limitations or restrictions specified in Class E as being applicable to the development in question.

(4) Sub-paragraphs (5) to (8) and (10) do not apply where a local planning authority refuses an application under sub-paragraph (3) and for the purposes of section 78 (appeals) of the Act such a refusal is to be treated as a refusal of an application for approval.

(5) On receipt of the application, where in the opinion of the local planning authority the development is likely to result in a material increase or a material change in the character of traffic in the vicinity of the site, the local planning authority must consult—
(a) where the increase or change relates to traffic entering or leaving a trunk road, the highway authority for the trunk road;

(b) the local highway authority, where the increase or change relates to traffic entering or leaving a classified road or proposed highway, except where the local planning authority is the local highway authority; and

(c) the operator of the network which includes or consists of the railway in question, and the Secretary of State for Transport, where the increase or change relates to traffic using a level crossing over a railway.

(6) On receipt of the application, the local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency where the development is—
(a) in an area within Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3; or

(b) in an area within Flood Zone 1 which has critical drainage problems and which has been notified to the local planning authority by the Environment Agency for the purpose of paragraph (zc)(ii) in the Table in Schedule 4 to the Procedure Order.

(7) The local planning authority must notify the consultees referred to in sub-paragraphs (5) and (6) specifying the date by which they must respond (being not less than 21 days from the date the notice is given).

(8) The local planning authority must give notice of the proposed development—
(a) by site display in at least one place on or near the land to which the application relates for not less than 21 days of a notice which—
(i) describes the proposed development;
(ii) provides the address of the proposed development;
(iii) specifies the date by which representations are to be received by the local planning authority; or

(b) by serving a notice in that form on any adjoining owner or occupier.

(9) The local planning authority may require the developer to submit such information as the authority may reasonably require in order to determine the application, which may include—
(a) assessments of impacts or risks; or

(b) statements setting out how impacts or risks are to be mitigated.

(10) The local planning authority must, when determining an application—
(a) take into account any representations made to them as a result of any consultation under sub-paragraphs (5) or (6) and any notice given under sub-paragraph (8); and

(b) have regard to the National Planning Policy Framework, so far as relevant to the subject matter of the prior approval, as if the application were a planning application.

(11) The development must not begin before the occurrence of one of the following—
(a) the receipt by the applicant from the local planning authority of a written notice of their determination that such prior approval is not required;

(b) the receipt by the applicant from the local planning authority of a written notice giving their prior approval; or

(c) the expiry of 56 days following the date on which the application under sub-paragraph (2) was received by the local planning authority without the authority notifying the applicant as to whether prior approval is given or refused.

(12) The development must be carried out—
(a) where prior approval is required, in accordance with the details approved by the local planning authority;

(b) where prior approval is not required, or where sub-paragraph (11)(c) applies, in accordance with the details provided in the application referred to in sub-paragraph (2), unless the local planning authority and the developer agree otherwise in writing.

(13) The local planning authority may grant prior approval unconditionally or subject to conditions reasonably related to the subject matter of the prior approval.

(14) When computing the number of days in sub-paragraph (8)(a), any day which is a public holiday must be disregarded.

Interpretation of Class E

E.4 For the purposes of Class E—
“broadcast or transmission” means—
(a) broadcast of the film or television programme by—
(i) a television programme provider, or
(ii) any other person for commercial gain,

(b) transmission of it, including over the internet, by—
(i) a television programme provider, or
(ii) any other person for commercial gain, or

(c) theatrical release of it at the commercial cinema;

“commercial filmmaking” means filming for broadcast or transmission but does not include the filming of persons paying to visit the site to participate in any leisure activity on that site including—
(a) motor car and motorcycle racing including trials of speed or other motor sports, and practising for those activities, or

(b) clay pigeon shooting or any war game;

“filming period” means a period, not exceeding 12 months in total, during which the land or building is used for commercial filmmaking (including activities preparatory to, or otherwise related to, that filmmaking) under Class E; and “television programme provider” has the meaning given in section 99(2) of the Broadcasting Act 1996.

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Class E Temporary Filmmaking Page Updated: 29th September 2026