Directory of use classes
On this page, we state that there is no list of use classes. There isn’t. This is not a list of use classes. It is however a directory showing which use classes we expect a particular use to fall into. There is a difference – honest! This is a directory where we expect the uses to come. Note that there are a few oddities to the directory, as local authorities can try to vary where the use is not defined in the Use Class Order.
There used to be a land use gazetteer several years ago, but this is very out of date. Sadly there is a risk that people might refer to that in order to try and figure out the use class of a building. It is misleading and should be avoided. Life has moved on!
It isn’t every building use within England, but there are quite a few! Some might be open to debate as well. Where a use class is not described in either Use Class B, C, E, F1 or F2 then it falls outside the Use Class Order and is therefore Sui Generis.
A recent appeal APP/R5510/X/22/3290784 was confirmed by the inspectorate that a former restaurant could become a tanning salon, a use that was previously deemed as Sui Generis. This was thanks to the new wording in Use Class E that says ‘any other services which it is appropriate to provide in a commercial, business or service locality’ .
Note that buildings which have multiple true uses could well be classed as Sui Generis. However if the secondary use is ancillary then the Use Class remains as the main one. For example a Cathedral with a shop would still be F1, as the gift shop is ancillary to the Church.
We will add to this directory if we find that some common uses are missing. If you feel we are wrong in any of these, please let us know! It might just be a typo on our part. Please note that this list applies only ton England. There might be similarities to use classes in Wales and Scotland, but they are different.
The Use Class Directory
You can sort this table on either column. You may also search for keywords. We have over 200 examples in the Use Class Directory, but if any are missing, let us know (we bet you can’t!).
| Usage | Use Class |
|---|---|
| Adult Entertainment Venue | Sui Generis |
| Agricultural Units | Sui Generis |
| Alkali Work | Sui Generis |
| Amusement Arcade | Sui Generis |
| Aparthotels | C1 |
| Art Gallery | F1 |
| Artists Studio | E |
| Banks | E |
| Barbers | E |
| Barns | Sui Generis |
| Beauty Salons | E * |
| Bed & Breakfast | C1 |
| Bedsit | C4 |
| Betting Shops | Sui Generis |
| Bingo Hall | Sui Generis |
| Boarding Houses | C1 |
| Boarding Kennels | Sui Generis |
| Boarding School | C2 |
| Boat building | B2 |
| Bookshop | E |
| Builders Yard | Sui Generis ∆ |
| Building Societies | E |
| Buildings used for storage | B8 |
| Bungalows (use by single person or family) | C3 |
| Butcher | E |
| Cafés | E |
| Cab Company | Sui Generis |
| Car Hire / Car Rental | Sui Generis |
| Car Racing | Sui Generis |
| Car Repairs | B2 |
| Car Servicing | E |
| Car Showroom | Sui Generis |
| Caravan SIte | Sui Generis |
| Care Homes | C2 |
| Casino | Sui Generis |
| Catering premises & production | B2 |
| Catering Storage & Distribution | B8 |
| Cattery | Sui Generis |
| Chemist | E |
| Church Halls | F1 |
| Churches | F1 |
| Cinema | Sui Generis |
| Clinics | E |
| Clothes Shop | E |
| Colleges | F1 |
| Concert Hall | Sui Generis |
| Crèches | E |
| Cricket Pitches | F2 |
| Custody Centres | C2A |
| Dance Hall | Sui Generis |
| Day Nurseries | E |
| Dentists | E |
| Detention Centres | C2A |
| Distribution Centres | B8 |
| DIY Shed | E |
| Doctors | E |
| Dog Grooming Parlour | E * |
| Drinking Establishments with Expanded Food Provision | Sui Generis |
| Dry Cleaners | E |
| Education Facility | F1 |
| Employment Agencies | E |
| Equestrian | Sui Generis |
| Estate Agencies | E |
| Exhibition Halls | F1 |
| Extra Care Housing | C2 ††† |
| Factories | B2 |
| Farm | Sui Generis |
| Fast Food Takeaway | Sui Generis |
| Film Studio | B2 |
| Firearms Sports | Sui Generis |
| Flats (use by single person or family) | C3 |
| Football Pitches | F2 |
| Fuel Stations | Sui Generis |
| Funeral Directors | E |
| Funfairs | Sui Generis |
| Garages (Fuel) | Sui Generis |
| General Industrial | B2 |
| GP | E |
| Greengrocer | E |
| Group of up to 6 people living together as a single household | C3 |
| Group of up to 6 people living together with care | C3 |
| Guest Houses | C1 |
| Gymnasiums (Gyms) | E |
| Hairdressers | E |
| Hall or Meeting Place for local use | F2 |
| Health Centres | E |
| Hire Shops | E |
| HMOs (3 to 6 people) | C4 |
| HMOs (7+ people) | Sui Generis |
| Homeowner with a lodger | C3 |
| Hospitals | C2 |
| Hostels (No care) | Sui Generis |
| Hot Food Takeaways | Sui Generis |
| Hotels | C1 |
| Houses (use by single person or family) | C3 |
| Indoor Sports & Recreation | E |
| Industrial Process | B2 |
| Industrial Processes in a residential area without causing detriment to the amenity of the area | E |
| Internet Cafes | E |
| Job Centre | E |
| Kennels | Sui Generis |
| Landfill Sites | Sui Generis |
| Lap Dancing Club | Sui Generis |
| Large HMOs | Sui Generis |
| Launderettes | Sui Generis |
| Law Courts | F1 |
| Library | F1 |
| Light Industrial | E |
| Live Music Venue | Sui Generis |
| Local Halls | F2 |
| Local Shops (no other such facility < 280 sq m within 1 km) | F2 |
| Maisonettes (use by single person or family) | C3 |
| Massage Parlour | E * |
| Military Barracks | C2A |
| Minicab Company | Sui Generis |
| Monastery | F1 |
| Mosque | F1 |
| MOT Centre | E †† |
| Motorcycle Repairs | B2 |
| Motorcycle Showroom | Sui Generis |
| Motorsport Arenas | Sui Generis |
| Movie Studio | B2 |
| Museums | F1 |
| Music Studio | E |
| Nail Bar | E * |
| Naval Barracks | C2A |
| Nightclubs | Sui Generis |
| Non-residential Education and Training Centres | F1 |
| Non-retail Photographic Studio | E |
| Nursing Homes | C2 |
| Offices | E |
| Open Air Storage | B8 |
| Osteopath | E |
| Other Drinking Establishments | Sui Generis |
| Outdoor Sport | F2 |
| Payday Loan Shops | Sui Generis |
| Pet Shops | E |
| Petrol Stations | Sui Generis |
| Pharmacy | E |
| Phone Shop | E |
| Photographic Studio | E |
| Places of Worship | F1 |
| Police Offices (not a station) | E |
| Police Stations | Sui Generis |
| Polo Ground | F2 |
| Post Offices | E |
| Postal Sorting Offices | Sui Generis |
| Printers | E |
| Prisons | C2A |
| Private Hire Company | Sui Generis |
| Professional Services | E |
| Public Halls (except local) | F1 |
| Public Libraries | F1 |
| Public Reading Room | F1 |
| Pubs | Sui Generis |
| Recording Studios | E |
| Religious Instruction | F1 |
| Research & Development | E |
| Residential Accommodation in need of care | C2 |
| Residential Schools, Colleges or Training Centres | C2 |
| Restaurant | E |
| Retail Warehouse Club | Sui Generis |
| Retail Warehouses | E |
| Sale of cold food for consumption off premises | E |
| Sandwich Shop | E |
| Schools | F1 |
| Scout hut | F2 |
| Scrap Yards | Sui Generis |
| Secure Hospitals | C2A |
| Secure Local Authority Accommodation | C2A |
| Secure Training Centres | C2A |
| Serviced Accommodation | C1 / C3 Sui Generis † |
| Sheltered Housing | C3 ††† |
| Shoe Shop | E |
| Shops | E |
| Short Term Holiday Lets | C1 / C3 Sui Generis † |
| Short Term Holding Centres | C2A |
| Skating Rink | F2 |
| Snooker Hall | E |
| Solicitors | E |
| Sports Arenas | F2 |
| Student Blocks | Sui Generis |
| Sunbed Salon | E * |
| Synagogue | F1 |
| Supported Housing with care (up to 6 people) | C3 |
| Swimming Pools | F2 |
| Takeaway | Sui Generis |
| Tanning Salon | E * |
| Tattoo Parlours | E * |
| Taxi Company | Sui Generis |
| Tennis Courts | F2 |
| Theatres | Sui Generis |
| Ticket Agencies | E |
| Tourist Information | E |
| Training Company | F1 |
| Travel Agencies | E |
| University | F1 |
| Vehicle Sports | Sui Generis |
| Veterinary Practice (Vets) | E |
| Visitor Centre | Sui Generis |
| Warehouses | B8 |
| Wine Bars | Sui Generis |
| Yacht Building | B2 |
| Yard for Breaking of Motor Vehicles | Sui Generis |
| Yard for Storage / Distribution of Minerals | Sui Generis |
| Young Offenders’ Institutions | C2A |
| Zoo | Sui Generis |
* Traditionally we have considered dog groomers, tattoo parlours or beauty salons to be sui generis, but the new wording in Use Class E says ‘any other services which it is appropriate to provide in a commercial, business or service locality’ which in our opinion brings several other local uses into Use Class E. You might however find that the local authority doesn’t agree. We hope they do.
A recent appeal APP/R5510/X/22/3290784 was confirmed by the inspectorate that a former restaurant could become a tanning salon, a use that was previously deemed as Sui Generis, thanks to the line referred to above.
∆ Builders Merchants could be classed as B8 or Sui Generis. Wickes tend to prefer Use Class B8 / E and have obtained this at appeal.
† Serviced accommodation (SA) or Airbnb etc., can be classed as Use Class C1, C3 or Sui Generis, depending upon the local authority and the number of nights occupied per year. Serviced Accommodation or SA for short, does not appear in the Use Class Order as a result various local authorities treat them differently.
†† Traditionally MOT locations have also been B2, but providing they are able to operate in a residential area without detriment to the amenity of that area, we feel that they would now be better as Use Class E. But if the location also undertook repairs of any description it would likely fall back into B2.This change is due to the modified Use Class B2 within England as defined in Article 3(1C) of the Use Class Order which was updated in 2020.
††† Sheltered Housing and Extra Care Housing are likely to be C3, unless care is needed by residents when it may fall into C2. Where care is simply available as and when required, doesn’t move it into C2. See Use Class C2 for more information.
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Page Updated: 13th March 2024
Other Planning Use Classes Sections
| Which Use Class is my building? | UCO Timeline |
| Part B - B2 - B8 | Use Class F1 |
| Part C - C1 - C2 - C2A - C3 - C4 - C5 | Use Class F2 |
| Use Class E | Sui Generis |
| Directory of Uses | Changes in 2020/21 |