Securing Planning Permission for Two New Commercial Units Within an Existing Building in Salford

We have just secured permission for the creation of two new planning units within Use Class E (g) (ii) and (iii), within an existing building along with associated works in Salford, bringing underused commercial space into productive use.

Use Class E(g)(ii) covers research and development. Use Class E(g)(iii) covers light industrial processes that can be carried out without detriment to residential amenity. Both fall within the broad Use Class E (Commercial, Business and Service), introduced in 2020.

The key advantage of Class E is its built-in flexibility. Once units are in lawful Class E use, occupiers can move freely between sub-uses within the class — including between E(g)(ii) and E(g)(iii) — without needing further planning permission. This makes Class E units highly marketable and adaptable to a wide range of occupiers. In our clients case, this flexibility has been 'taken' away through the imposition of a restrictive condition which, was anticipated from the outset. The units will be attractive to small start ups looking for a space within Salford ( with parking opposite).

Our client Absolute Drainage looks forward to implementing their permission. A big thank you to Phil Hopkins of studioPH architecture for providing the architectural drawings.