Class MA is a permitted development right that allows buildings in Use Class E — the broad "commercial, business and service" category covering shops, offices, restaurants, gyms, and similar — to change to residential use (Class C3) via a Prior Approval process, rather than a full planning application.
Two major restrictions were removed in 2024
Class MA has existed since 2021, but two significant changes came into force on 5 March 2024, materially widening what's now possible:
- No floorspace cap. The previous 1,500 sqm limit has been removed entirely — there's now no upper size limit on the building that can be converted.
- No vacancy requirement. Previously, a building had to have been vacant for 3 continuous months before applying. That requirement has also been removed — active, trading premises can now apply.
Both changes are well-established and consistently confirmed across current sources as of 2026, but permitted development rules are genuinely subject to further change — always confirm the current position with your council or a planning professional before relying on it for a real project.
What hasn't changed
- The building must have been in genuine Class E use for a continuous period of at least 2 years before the change of use.
- Class MA is strictly a change of use right — it doesn't grant permission for other building works. Anything beyond internal reconfiguration (extensions, significant external alterations) generally needs its own full planning application.
- Councils can still refuse Prior Approval, and can remove Class MA rights locally via an Article 4 Direction — always check this before relying on the route.
What Prior Approval actually assesses
Rather than a full planning assessment, Prior Approval for Class MA looks at a defined, narrower list of issues:
- Transport and highway impact
- Contamination risk
- Flooding risk
- The impact of noise from any nearby commercial premises on future residents
- Whether habitable rooms get adequate natural light — in practice, one of the most common reasons applications are refused
Where Class MA doesn't apply
- Listed buildings
- Land within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a National Landscape (AONB), or a National Park
- Safety hazard areas
Building Regulations still apply in full
Permitted development only removes the need for planning permission — Building Regulations (fire safety, sound insulation, thermal performance, ventilation, and accessibility) apply in full to any commercial-to-residential conversion, regardless of the planning route used.