AV Ovservatory Blog

Zoning Basics in the United Kingdom

Real estate used by for-profit businesses is referred to as commercial property. This type of real estate may be purchased outright by the business or it may be let by a real estate broker. This type of property differs from industrial property which would be used for manufacturing. Commercial property encompasses shopping centers, restaurants and office complexes. An easy way to determine if a piece of property is commercial or industrial is to ask if it is involved in the production of goods. If it is, it is an industrial property. If it is not, but is involved in money making for a business, it is commercial.

In the United Kingdom, local government makes use of town and country planning to regulate new building as well as land use. Development plans are formed using the “plan-led” system and the public is consulted before any work goes forward. When subsequent development is desired, planning permission is required. The development plan will then be consulted and the request granted or denied. Currently the United Kingdom has 421 Local Planning Authorities and one will need to know which commercial property authority is responsible for the real estate in question.

The Local Planning Authorities generally fall into three categories: borough, district council and unitary authority. There are certain exceptions to this rule. The national park authority has control of planning applications within the national parks while non-metropolitan area county councils handle matters related to planning in waste disposal, minerals or mining. Knowing which authority to contact when purchasing or letting commercial property makes the entire process easier for all involved.

When one is looking to let or purchase commercial property, a request will need to be made. The planning authority will then look at mapped zones in order to determine if the request should be granted or denied. This will be determined based on the land uses currently in place for the real estate. Zoning comes in two forms. It may be based on what the land is to be used for or it may be regulated by lot coverage, building height and other characteristics. Knowing what zoning is currently in place for the requested property allows you to choose properties that are already designated for your purpose. When you do so, you can have your commercial endeavour up and running more rapidly.