Prior Approval Planning Application Submitted in Salisbury: conversion of a restaurant with staff accommodation to an office with 2 separate flats.

With an existing use as a ground floor restaurant (Class E) with residential accommodation use above as ancillary use, Studio Homer is seeking prior approval to separate the building into mixed-use.

Permitted Development Change of Use Part 3 Class G allows a building with Class E classification to be converted into a mixed-use building subject to a prior approval application. The conditions of Class G restricted a change of use to 2 flats which can’t be located at ground floor level. However, the emerging white paper suggests that this may be increased to 4 flats in 2024.

Our proposal seeks to separate the ground floor Class E Use from the two floors above with separate access. Two self-contained apartments will then be created across the two floors.

Prior approval provides the council 56 days to assess our proposal for access to natural light, flood risk, and noise from the commercial premises and respond before permission is granted.

A prior approval application has now been submitted to Wiltshire Council for their consideration.