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The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987
Historical reference and amendment history. The 1987 Order remains the principal Use Classes Order as amended, but the material below shows original wording and later changes rather than a complete current consolidation. For the present English system, use the Use Classes Index and the current Planning Use Classes guide.
In 1987 we saw the fifth Use Classes Order issued, replacing the 1972 Order. It introduced the familiar Parts A, B, C and D with alphanumerical classes beneath them. England has since changed that structure substantially: Parts A and D were revoked in 2020, B1 was omitted, and Classes E, F1 and F2 were introduced. The 1987 Order nevertheless remains the underlying principal Order, as amended.
Although we still have rag & bones, breeding maggots and boiling tripe in 1987 until they went in 1995.
We finally see residential houses being introduced into the Use Classes order in 1987 with HMOs in 2010.
Pubs, restaurants and cafés were together as A3 until pubs were split off to A4 in 2005.
The 1987 Order initially applied across England and Wales. The regimes later diverged following devolution, with Wales making its own amendments from 2002 onwards. Unless stated otherwise, the later changes described on this page are the English position.
The 1987 Order was made on 28 April 1987 and came into force on 1 June 1987. It remains the principal Use Classes Order, as amended, although England’s 2020 restructuring is shown on a separate page. You can read the original 1987 Order on legislation.gov.uk.
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The 1987 Order removed many of the detailed definitions used by its predecessors and set out a clearer list of uses excluded from the specified classes. Those excluded uses are commonly described as sui generis.
Use Classes 1987 – 2019
SI 1987/764 was made on 28th April 1987 and came into operation on 1st June 1987.
You can view the original version here.
The 1987 Order was amended repeatedly before the major 2020 changes. The list below contains the principal Use Classes amendment instruments we originally tracked, but it is not an exhaustive list of every instrument which amended the Order. Wider planning and environmental legislation also made consequential changes.
SI 1991/1567 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Order 1991 – download here
SI 1992/0610 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Order 1992 – download here
SI 1992/0657 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1992 – download here
SI 1994/0724 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Order 1994 – download here
SI 1995/0297 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Order 1995 – download here
SI 2005/0084 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order 2005 – download here
SI 2006/0220 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order 2006 – download here
SI 2010/0653 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order 2010 – download here
SI 2015/0597 – The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order 2015 – download here
Other instruments also amended the Order. Of particular relevance to the class history, SI 2006/1282 inserted Class C2A and added law courts to D1, while the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/988) amended the excluded hazardous-waste use. The 2020 Explanatory Memorandum identifies further consequential amendments as well, so this chronology should not be treated as a complete list of every instrument touching the 1987 Order.
The original 1987 Use Class order is in ordinary type. Any items removed are crossed out with the date of removal or new items are added with the date of being added.
The following items were classed as Sui Generis falling outside of the Use Class Order.
Theatre
Amusement Arcade or centre or a funfairFor the washing or cleaning of clothes or fabrics in coin-operated machines or on premises at which the goods to be cleaned are received direct from the visiting public (deleted 1991)
Launderette (added 1991)
For the sale or display of motor vehicles
For a taxi business or business for the hire of motor vehicles
As a scrapyard, or a yard for the storage or distribution of materials or the breaking of motor vehicles
for any work registrable under the Alkali, etc. Works Regulation Act 1906 (added 1992)
Hostel, (added 1992)
Retail warehouse club being a retail club where goods are sold, or displayed for sale, only to persons who are members of that club;
Night-club. (added 2005)
Casino (added 2006)
Betting office, (added 2015)
Pay day loan shop. (added 2015)
| Class A1 Shops |
Use for all or any of the following purposes- (a) for the retail sale of goods other than hot food, (b) as a post office, (c) for the sale of tickets or as a travel agency, (d) for the sale of sandwiches or other cold food for consumption off the premises, (e) for hairdressing, (f) for the direction of funerals, (g) for the display of goods for sale, (h) for the hiring out of domestic or personal goods or articles, (i) for the washing or cleaning of clothes or fabrics on the premises, (added 1991) (j) for the reception of goods to be washed, cleaned or repaired, (added 1991) (k) as an internet café; where the primary purpose of the premises is to provide facilities for enabling members of the public to access the internet (added 2005) where the sale, display or service is to visiting members of the public. |
| Class A2 Financial and professional services |
Use for the provision of – (a) financial services, or (b) professional services ( other than health or medical services), or (c) any other services where the services are provided principally to visiting members of the public. |
| Class A3 Restaurants and Cafes |
Use for the sale of food and drink for consumption on the premises. (added 2005) |
| A4 Drinking establishments |
Use as a public house, wine-bar or other drinking establishment. (added 2005) |
| A5 Hot Food Takeaway |
Use for the sale of hot food for consumption off the premises. (added 2005) |
| Class B1 Business |
Use for all or any of the following purposes- (a) as an office other than a use within class A2 (financial and professional services), (b) for research and development of products or processes, or (c) for 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. |
| Class B2 General industrial |
Use for the carrying on of an industrial process other than one falling within class Bl above |
| Class B8 Storage or distribution |
Use for storage or as a distribution centre. |
| Class C1 Hotels |
Use as a hotel, boarding or guest house |
| Class C2 Residential institutions |
Use for the provision of residential accommodation and care to people in need of care (other than a use within class C3 (dwelling houses)). Use as a hospital or nursing home. Use as a residential school, college or training centre. |
| Class C2A Secure residential institutions |
Use for the provision of secure residential accommodation, including use as a prison, young offenders institution, detention centre, secure training centre, custody centre, short-term holding centre, secure hospital, secure local authority accommodation or use as military barracks. (added 2006) |
| Class C3 Dwellinghouses |
Use as a dwellinghouse (whether or not as a sole or main residence) by— (a) a single person or by people to be regarded as forming a single household; (b) not more than six residents living together as a single household where care is provided for residents; or (c) not more than six residents living together as a single household where no care is provided to residents (other than a use within Class C4).
Interpretation of Class C3 For the purposes of Class C3(a) “single household” shall be construed in accordance with section 258 of the Housing Act 2004 (C3 replaced 2010) |
| Class C4 Houses in multiple occupation |
Use of a dwellinghouse by not more than six residents as a “house in multiple occupation”. Interpretation of Class C4 For the purposes of Class C4 a “house in multiple occupation” does not include a converted block of flats to which section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 applies but otherwise has the same meaning as in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004. (C4 added 2010) |
| Class D1 Non-residential institutions |
Any use not including a residential use – (a) for the provision of any medical or health services except the use of premises attached to the residence of the consultant or practitioner, (b) as a creche, day nursery or day centre, (c) for the provision of education, (d) for the display of works of art (otherwise than for sale or hire), (e) as a museum, (f) as a public library or public reading room, (g) as a public hall or exhibition hall, (h) for, or in connection with, public worship or religious instruction. (i) as a law court (added 2006) |
| Class D2 Assembly and leisure |
Use as – (a) a cinema, (b) a concert hall, (c) a bingo hall (d) a dance hall, (e) a swimming bath, skating rink, gymnasium or area for other indoor or outdoor sports or recreations, not involving motorised vehicles or firearms. |
There was a major amendment in 2020 so we have split that onto its own page
1987 Use Classes Order Page Updated: 25th August 2026
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