Class G: Commercial Use to Residential Mixed-Use
Property Investors – Permitted Development Residential Change of Use above Commercial Units
Class G – commercial, business and service or betting office or pay day loan shop to mixed use
Class G of the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) is a powerful permitted development right that is regularly utilised by property investors as a means of adding value to a commercial building. Class G of the GPDO allows the change of use of the space above a commercial unit to create 2 flats.
Class G of the GPDO can be a particularly useful tool for commercial landlords, property developers, and those that hold commercial property within a SIPP or SASS pension, as it provides a mechanism of generating property wealth, profit and value.
Class G applies to the commercial uses that fall within Class E and betting office and pay day loan shops. The Class E planning use actually covers many types of commercial activities, including: shops; financial and professional services; restaurants and cafés; offices; clinics and health centres; crèches and day nurseries; and indoor sports spaces, like gyms.
Please read on for a simple guide of the Class G GPDO planning process.
Class G and the Planning Process
Since August 2021, it has been necessary to submit a Class G Prior Approval application to the local planning authority. This Prior Approval application process costs £100 per dwelling.
The Prior Approval process will take 56 days. The positive about this process is that if the Council does not respond during this time period, then a deemed consent is given.
The Prior Approval application will then be assessed by the planning officers against a number of criteria to demonstrate compliance with Class G of the GPDO. These include:
(i) contamination risks in relation to the building;
(ii) flooding risks in relation to the building;
(iii) impacts of noise from commercial premises on the intended occupiers of the development;
(iv) the provision of adequate natural light in all habitable rooms of the dwellinghouses;
(v) arrangements required for the storage and management of domestic waste.
Unlike other Prior Approval applications within the GPDO, Class G can be applied in locations such as, conservation areas or national parks. It even can even apply to listed buildings, although listed building consent will still be required.
Contact Us
If you have a commercial unit with ancillary space on the upper floors, A D P can assist you by ensuring that you are indeed compliant with Class G, and we can prepare the necessary plans required for the Prior Approval application process. Please contact us mail@adpltd.co.uk or use the form below:
