The Planning Life Insights of Bryan – Part 5

Changes to the Use Classes Order and evolution of the UK High Street 

Click below to listen to episode 5 of “The Planning Life Insights of Bryan”, a BCLP podcast looking into the practical things you need to know to navigate the UK planning system.

Sheridan Treger, Giles Pink, Clare Eccles, Rebecca Chambers, Jessica Lowe and Joseph Tyler of BCLP are joined by John Sayer of CBRE and Sarah Bevan of London First to work through the dizzying alphabet soup of the reforms to the Use Classes Order. We explore the opportunities opened up for landlords with high street portfolios, tenant unit operators and developers trying to deliver new mixed use schemes:

• a quick refresh on how the use classes system works and why it matters commercially
• the headline changes to the Use Classes Order, focusing on the new composite use class E for commercial, business and services
• what this means for Local Plan retail frontage policies restricting Town Centre uses
• using the changes to remove existing restrictive planning conditions/obligations on use
• top tips in applying for a Class E permission
• hidden consents needed to benefit from the flexibility of Class E 

As the UK planning system tries to manage the evolution of Britain’s high streets whilst allowing the business models of the 21^st Century to revitalise sectors worst hit by Covid, who will be the winners and losers in this all important game of Use Classes Bingo?

And who will win the game of Use Classes Bingo played on the podcast? 

We hope you enjoy listening!