Your Guide to the Use Classes Order 2019

The NHS Property Services (NHSPS) Town Planning Team have produced a comprehensive guide to establish the existing and potential Use Classes of buildings, combining and simplifying the content of several complex town planning documents. 

This new guidance table covers information from the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) and the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended), but also incorporates the 2019 changes to the town planning system that have been introduced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which have increased the flexibility for establishing temporary D1 (health care) uses in buildings.

NHSPS teams can now use this as an up to date reference source for use classes across the NHSPS portfolio, but we hope this will prove a useful resource for our customers and the wider NHS. Establishing the existing use class of buildings or whether a change in use can take place without the need for a full planning application is particularly useful for property development or disposal projects, as it can substantially increase the value of a property.

The document forms one of a host of town planning guidance documents that are currently being finalised by the NHSPS town planning team and should anyone require further information or guidance on this matter, the NHSPS Town Planning team are available to provide further assistance, please get in touch via the form below. 

This is a general guide only and is not intended to be comprehensive or a substitute for taking detailed professional advice. No liability is accepted for the information it contains or any errors or omissions.