Change of Use Class B1 to Class D1

There was a disagreement with Stockport Council the local planning authority over whether this proposal actually required a change of use. The use did not involve any medical procedures or examinations and was a desk-based discussion about the health of clients very similar to an occupational health assessment. However, the Council took a literal interpretation of the Use Classes Order which defines medical uses as being within Class D1, rather than looking at the characteristics of the use which were very much those of a B1 office use.

Despite producing evidence to show that other local planning authorities had interpreted the use differently and concurred with our assessment that it was a Class B1 office use, Stockport Council would not alter their stance that it was a Class D1 use. As our clients were in a contract with the Department of Works and Pensions it was incumbent on them to have the right planning permission so reluctantly, we had to accept the Council’s interpretation without necessarily agreeing with it,

A planning application was duly submitted and we prepared a planning statement which dealt with the policy issues of losing Class B1 office accommodation to Class D1 medical which was contrary to local plan policy. We successfully argued the case on behalf of the client and eventually the local planning authority accepted that the use was acceptable.