Find the use class of a building or piece of land

Planning use classes are the legal framework that determine what a particular property may be used for. You can check what this means on the Planning Portal. See below for how you can find this information.

Look at the planning history of your building or land

It may be hard to identify the permitted use of a building or piece of land because its history might be complicated. For example, planning permissions may have been granted in the past, but they may not have been implemented. 

A search of historic planning decisions will identify what planning permissions exist, and this may identify what the existing use class is. If you are in doubt, apply for a Lawful Development Certificate.

Apply for a Lawful Development Certificate

If you need confirmation that a building or piece of land has a certain use class, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate.