Update to the use classes

From September 1st 2020 an update to the use classes came into play. I have briefly touched upon this in the outline blog but I hope to be able to give you a touch more information here. 

The broad outline here is that the ease for a potential change of use should be much simpler. To find out the changes to the use classes see this site. It has a very good table to determine your class. https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/guides/planning-use-classes-order-changes

I can see that these changes will provide our local high streets with a chance to potentially supply what is needed rather than what was permitted under the previous use class system. This alone should allow for local high streets to have more scope with regards to what shops/business are allowed. It has become evident that in recent years the main complaint from the public has been that their high street offers variations of the same types of business. Whether this had any impact on the recent review, I don't know, but I do hope that it will bring back some excitement to our shops. 

These changes will allow more flexibility with a building's use and allow existing companies to be able to potentially change the use of  their nature of business should they see fit. In recent times, dealing with Corona, we have all found our work to have been affected in some way, some businesses more than others. This should allow for these businesses to be able to discover new opportunities, and let's face it, in times such as now, this news is welcomed. 

If you're confused and want to check what you can or cannot do I would always say that you should contact your local planning office for clarification. You could also use the information from the site above to work out what category your business falls under. It is always best to check your rights, especially when talking about new changes. There have been a couple of updates to the planning system recently and there is quite a bit to get your head around. However, if you manage to get things sorted, these changes could be beneficial to you, financially and personally. 

Keep an eye on my blog for updates, changes and anything construction related. Check out the link above for more updates to the change of use laws and let me know how this is going to affect you. I hope these changes are not only going to be good for business but I hope they're going to enrich our high streets and bring out the shoppers in us once again. 

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