Published on 31/03/25 & Updated on 05/11/25
Over the years, the Government has continuously attempted to streamline planning processes in order to meet housing targets. Whether it’s unlocking new development opportunities in the green belt via grey belt land, or the prioritisation of brownfield development. To improve this progress, Class MA was unveiled in 2021 with a focus on commercial to residential conversions.
Class MA Permitted Development Rights permit the conversion of buildings such as restaurants, offices, shops, nurseries, cafes, leisure facilities, and health services (Class E properties) into homes.
When you consider that the ‘UK lost 37 shops a day in 2024‘, and that the Centre for Retail Research predicts upwards of 17,000 shops to close in the UK by the end of 2025, it’s evident that Class MA has the potential to revitalise struggling town centres and provide more homes for residents in the surrounding area whilst offering exciting development opportunities.
Coming into force in 2021, Class MA received an update in 2024. Let’s look at what Class MA is, how it has changed, and some considerations to bear in mind while applying.
What is Class MA?
In short, Class MA permits the conversion of commercial, business, and service buildings (Class E) to residential dwellings (Class C) without requiring planning permission.
However, there are many considerations and changes that have come into effect relating to Class MA that developers should be aware of, all of which we’re going to cover in this guide.
Class MA 2024 Changes
Changes relating to Class MA came into effect in March 2024 and extend to both England and Wales.
So, what do these changes actually mean for Class MA opportunities? It mainly comes down to two main points.
Previously, Class MA opportunities needed to be less than 1500sqm. What’s more, the building had to be vacant for a minimum of 3 months.
That said, these changes brought in in March 2024 mean there’s no longer a limit to the floor space that can be converted under Class MA, and the building no longer needs to have been vacant for 3 months.
These changes will open up more opportunities for developers to convert larger buildings on the high streets, as well as buildings that were only partially converted.
Class MA Permitted Development Opportunities: Important Considerations
When analysing Class MA development opportunities, there are many considerations and restrictions to bear in mind that include but are not limited to:
The Property Must Have Been Use Class E for 2 Years
The first factor to consider when looking for Class MA development opportunities is that the property needs to have been Use Class E for a minimum of 2 years.
In other words, it must have been a shop or an office, for instance, for at least 2 years before the application was made.
The Development Must Be Completed In 3 Years
Another factor to consider is that development must be completed within 3 years of the prior approval date.
What’s more, the Local Planning Authority (LPA) must be notified when the development has been finished.
Some Buildings Can’t Be Converted
Development is not always permitted by Class MA, and some buildings can’t be converted.
Just a few examples of this include if the building is within a National Park, a World Heritage Site, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and if the building is Listed.
If the building is located within a conservation area, with a conversion taking place on the bottom floor, then an additional assessment will be required: a Heritage Impact Assessment.
Do you need help identifying whether a development comes under Class MA? Discovering Class MA opportunities has never been more convenient than with Landstack.
Our Planning Application layer allows you to filter by change of use, enabling users to seamlessly find applications where properties have transitioned from commercial to residential, including Class MA Applications.
Get in touch with our team at support@landstack.co.uk to find out more.
Prior Approval Is Required
Although many Class MA opportunities don’t require full planning permission, Prior Approval is still very much a requirement.
As such, developers will need to submit a Prior Approval application to the LPA.
Prior Approval requirements can include assessments relating to noise considerations, flood vulnerability, and window proposals, amongst others.
Within this application process, there is a time limit imposed on when a decision must be made, which is currently 56 days. This counts down the day after an application is sent.
An Additional Planning Application Might Be Required
Depending on the development opportunity, you may still need to submit an additional planning application.
For instance, if your building requires additional doors and windows, then a planning application will more often than not be required to make these changes.
That said, it’s key to approach Class MA opportunities on a case-by-case basis and familiarise yourself with the unique requirements of each development.
Class MA can help breathe new life into town centres whilst providing more homes in the UK. That said, the considerations above remain essential when identifying potential development land.
Class MA Use Cases
Provided they meet the rest of the criteria we’ve outlined above, the usual types of Class E properties that can be changed/redeveloped under Class MA are as follows:
- Shops
- Bars
- Restaurants
- Industrial facilities
- Hospitals/health care providers
- Nurseries
- Gyms
There can be some cases where an application under Class MA will be rejected, however. For example, if a commercial building is viewed as more valuable to the area, it may be kept as such.
Discover Class MA Opportunities With Landstack
Are you looking to improve how you identify Class MA opportunities? Look no further than Landstack.
Our Site Finder tool makes finding Class MA opportunities seamless from start to finish, offering a preset filter that users can click to reveal hundreds of potential Class MA opportunities.
As mentioned above, our Planning Application layer includes advanced Use Class filters, enabling users to discover applications for properties that have changed from commercial to residential, which includes Class MA applications.
By using this filter, users can seamlessly identify and analyse Class MA applications, track redevelopment trends, and explore opportunities for investment or community development conveniently from one intuitive platform.
Unlock new Class MA opportunities with Landstack. To learn more about the services we offer or to book a demo, please contact our team at support@landstack.co.uk or 01285706708 today.