Establish the lawful starting point
Collect decision notices, approved drawings, conditions and any lawful development certificates. Add a factual history of occupation if the paperwork is incomplete. A marketing brochure, business rates entry or tenancy description may help identify questions, but it should not be treated as conclusive planning authority. Distinguish a lawful use from an activity that has merely been taking place.
Also establish the planning unit. An upper floor may form part of a shop, a separate office or existing residential accommodation. The route for changing the whole building can differ from the route for changing one independent unit. Draw the proposal boundary clearly and explain shared spaces, yards, access and facilities.
Choose the application route accurately
National use classes group certain activities together. A movement within a class may not require permission for the use itself, but conditions, associated works and the facts of the operation still need checking. Some changes between classes have a permitted-development route with specific limitations or prior approval requirements; others require a full planning application.
Do not use the phrase commercial use as if it covers every business. A shop, takeaway, warehouse and drinking establishment are not interchangeable planning descriptions. Write the proposal in operational terms: customers, staff, opening hours, deliveries, production, storage and any residential occupation. This makes the classification and impact assessment more reliable.
Test the Leeds location
Use Leeds’ policies maps to establish the site context, including any centre, employment allocation or protected designation. Then identify the actual policy issue: loss of a service, suitability of a new use, effect on nearby homes or changes to the character of the place. A busy commercial frontage and a quiet residential back street may require very different evidence even where the proposed business is identical.
Check Article 4 restrictions against the precise property and the particular permitted-development right. Leeds’ HMO direction concerns a specific residential change; it should not be presented as proof that a commercial conversion is restricted or unrestricted. Obtain the relevant direction and map where the proposal relies on a national right.
Design the operation as well as the floor plan
A drawing that fits the business inside the premises does not show whether it can operate acceptably. Identify where deliveries stop, where refuse waits for collection, how customers enter and how equipment is serviced. For homes above or next door, consider the route of noise, vibration, cooking odour and evening activity.
Prepare a realistic schedule of normal and busiest operations. If the business relies on late opening or regular collections, that should appear in the application description and supporting documents. Resolving these matters before agreeing a lease can avoid a mismatch between the planning permission and the commercial model.
Keep the permissions coordinated
List any exterior alterations, plant, extraction, advertisements and changes to access separately from the use. They may need their own assessment. Listed-building consent, building regulations, premises licensing and landlord consent serve different purposes; one approval does not silently authorise the others. Decide who coordinates them and ensure the drawings describe a consistent scheme.
A useful change-of-use submission explains the existing position, the proposed activity, the correct route and how the relevant impacts are addressed. Send Plandome the property address, known permissions, floor plans and a plain-English description of the business or accommodation. That provides a better starting point than selecting a use class from a template.
Your questions, answered
Can I rely on the previous tenant’s planning permission?
Only after checking what that permission authorises and whether its conditions apply to your proposed operation. A different opening pattern, installation or use can change the answer.
Does an unchanged exterior mean permission is unnecessary?
No. Planning considers material changes in use as well as building works. Equally, some uses can change without a full application. The lawful starting use and the proposed activity determine the route.
Sources & further reading
Primary guidance and evidence checked 21 October 2026. Recheck live sources before acting.
Make this specific to your property. General guidance cannot establish a site’s lawful use, boundaries or the outcome of an application. Bring your address, plans and any council correspondence to the next conversation.
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