More Than One Route?

Where several planning routes are available, we compare them rather than automatically choosing the most obvious.

A full application may offer a better ultimate scheme but carry more policy risk. A prior approval route may provide less design flexibility but establish a valuable fallback. A lawful development route may be relevant where the existing use is already established.

The strategy depends on what the client is ultimately trying to achieve.

Need Advice on a Change of Use?

If you are considering commercial-to-residential development, Class MA or another change of use, we can assess the available routes and advise how they fit into the wider development strategy.

Contact Tetrick Planning to discuss change of use or prior approval.

We have handled a number of Class MA prior approval applications for the conversion of commercial premises to residential use.
Class MA can be particularly valuable where a conventional planning application would face a difficult policy test — for example, restrictions on the loss of employment or commercial floorspace.
Prior approval does not remove the need for careful planning work. A proposal still has to satisfy the relevant statutory criteria and technical matters. But the matters the Council is allowed to consider are different from those in a full planning application.
On suitable sites, that difference can provide a powerful way of de-risking the principle of residential use.
Not every change of use benefits from permitted development rights.
Where full planning permission is required, we identify the relevant policy tests at appraisal stage and build the evidence around them.
That may involve matters such as:
- loss of employment or commercial floorspace;
- marketing evidence;
- town-centre or frontage policy;
- neighbour amenity;
- transport and servicing;
- noise and operational impacts;
- residential quality;
- heritage; and
- the relationship between the existing and proposed uses.
The important point is to know the test before the application is designed and submitted.
Planning and licensing are separate legal regimes, but they can have a significant impact on each other.
For pubs, restaurants, takeaways and other hospitality businesses, we consider the proposed operation alongside the planning position. Where necessary, we work alongside licensing advisers to help ensure that the overall strategy is consistent.

Change of Use & Prior Approval

A change of use is not always a single planning application.

On the right site, the strongest strategy may involve permitted development or prior approval first, followed by one or more later planning applications to improve, extend or adapt the development.

Understanding that sequence can materially change both planning risk and land value. Hackney, Westminster, Wandsworth