Class G and Class H – retail or financial and professional service or betting office or pay day loan shop to mixed use and back again
What is Allowed
Class G – retail or financial and professional service or betting office or pay day loan shop to mixed use including up-to 2 flats
Class H – mixed use to retail or financial and professional service or betting office or pay day loan shop
Where can I use it
On any building in England without restriction
What is not allowed
There are no restrictions on these allowances
How do I use the permitted development allowances
Classes G and H are some of the older parts of the General Permitted Development Order and reads as such. The restrictions on Class G are ‘light touch’ allowing for new dwellings to be created with the minimal interaction from the Local Planning Authority.
Class G should be used first when considering retail to residential development as the other permitted development allowance (Class M) includes more onerous restrictions on its use. Class G development should be supported with a Certificate of Lawfulness (either existing or proposed) in order to demonstrate to your funding partners that the development is lawful.
Our Notes
Class G is great for new property investors seeking to dip their toes into new property development as it does not require formal planning permission from the Local Planning Authority. At most a Certificate of Lawful Proposed Development should be sought in order to engage this permitted development allowance.
Class G is available to properties that are within the greenbelt, listed, within Conservation Areas and within Town Centre Locations (subject to an application for Listed Building Consent if the works to convert effect the Listed Building)
Class G is also immune from the imposition of the National Floor-space Standards as the development results in a mixed use of retail/commercial and 2 flats. There is also no ‘time use first begun’ date within the allowance permitting you to change use into a Class G bearing use.
Class G was otherwise ignored by the SI 2020 No757 * which placed a end date on Classes O (office to residential) and M (retail to residential). It is also noted that references to Classes A1 and A2 have not been updated within subsequent SI’s. It is therefore anticipated that Class G will continue for the short term at least until the Permitted Development Allowances are tidied up in August 2021.
*Correct at time of writing.