Use Class B2 – General Industrial

Use Class B2 of the Use Classes Order 1987 (as amended) is for the use for the carrying on of an industrial process other than one falling within the uses described in Schedule 2, Class E, sub-paragraph (g) (excluding incineration purposes, chemical treatment, landfill or hazardous waste – see sui generis). 

When looking at Use Class B2 it is important to understand what ‘industrial process’ means. The Use Class Order describes ‘industrial process’ as:-

a process for or incidental to any of the following purposes:— (a) the making of any article or part of any article (including a ship or vessel, or a film, video or sound recording); (b) the altering, repairing, maintaining, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning, washing, packing, canning, adapting for sale, breaking up or demolition of any article; or (c) the getting, dressing or treatment of minerals;
in the course of any trade or business other than agriculture, and other than a use carried out in or adjacent to a mine or quarry;

Importantly within England, it also (updated by Article 3 (1C(b))) says other than a use falling within Use Class E sub-paragraph g; which in turn states:-

for— (i) an office to carry out any operational or administrative functions, (ii) the research and development of products or processes, or (iii) any industrial process, being a use, which can be carried out in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of that area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit.

A recording or film studio is not placed in B2 or Class E merely by its label. The question is whether the particular industrial process can be carried out in any residential area without detriment from noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit. A small, well-contained studio may fall within Class E(g), while a more intensive operation may fall within B2. The scale, equipment, servicing, operating hours and actual effects all matter.

Any incineration purposes, chemical treatment, landfill or hazardous waste would fall outside B2 and would be sui generis.

Permitted development changes for Use Class B2

You can move from Use Class B2 to Use Class B8 under Class I of Permitted Development up to 500 sq m. However there isn’t an option to go from use Class B8 to Use Class B2 without full planning, therefore you should consider carefully whether moving to B8 is the best option.

Class R does not provide a route from an agricultural building to B2 general industrial use. Its flexible commercial uses include specified uses such as Class E, B8, C1 and F2(c), subject to the current limitations and conditions, but not B2. Other changes into or out of B2 normally require planning permission unless a separate specific permitted development right applies.

Examples for Use Class B2

Activities that may fall within B2 include factories, vehicle-repair workshops, production kitchens, boat building and other industrial processes. The classification depends on the character and effects of the actual operation rather than the business name. Some activities, including shipbuilding or particularly intensive processes, may instead be sui generis.

Vehicle servicing, MOT testing and repair workshops illustrate the fact-sensitive boundary with Class E(g). A use capable of operating in any residential area without the listed amenity effects may fall within Class E(g). A noisier or more intensive repair operation may be B2. The presence of one repair activity does not automatically decide the whole planning unit; assess the primary use, scale and impacts.

Note that Use Class B2 was updated in 2020 by SI 757 for England and the information above reflects that. Details on other sites (for which we are not responsible for) are often out of date and do not reflect these changes. Hence why our information is different. Just in case you compare sites! 

Use Class B2 Page Updated: 25th August 2026

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