Commercial Change of Use

There are a number of other considerations to be made by homeowners, landlords and investors when extending a house. These could include works such as removal of structural

walls or re-arranging the internal layout of a property. In many cases, you would

not require planning consent unless you are in a Conservation area or working on

a Listed Building. However, you would require Building Regulations approval if you

are considering structural alterations such as removing supporting walls or

chimney stacks.

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These include Design and Change of to Use to cafes, restaurants and offices. Commercial Building Conversions I.e. Pub conversion to residential units. There are several factors to consider with Commercial Change of Use including, number of escape routes, occupancy levels and accessibility for disabled users.

 

Depending on the use and function of the building, this normally requires the integration of a disabled ramp allowing level access into the building for wheelchair users, disabled WC facilities and multiple protected escape routes for the users of the building in case of fire. Basically, for commercial buildings which are to be used by the public, some of these items are mandatory. However, this does not necessarily mean these are expensive additions and normally can be integrated with minimal work.

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Also, a common oversight made by new business start-ups, in particular, is the requirement for a signage application for their shop front. If you were replacing an existing sign with something very similar in nature, you would not require a signage application. For example, if you were replacing a basic sign with no illumination with an illuminated signage, this would require a Signage Application to be approved by the local authority.

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These are only some of the issues that must be addressed. We can guide you through the process and ensure you have a smooth progression of your development in preparation for trading.