Do I need planning permission to change a shop into a cafe?

It depends on the use classes involved and the current rules, so it is checked for the specific unit with the local planning authority rather than assumed.

What does building control want to see for a fit out?

Typically escape route layouts, fire resisting construction, ventilation and extraction, accessible provision and construction details for new elements.

Can you deal with my landlord's requirements?

Yes. Licence to alter packages, condition records of the existing unit and reinstatement drawings are all normal parts of commercial work.

Do you build commercial fit outs as well?

Yes. We draw and we build, so a commercial project can run under one contract from survey to handover if that suits you better.

Commercial · Cornwall

Commercial drawings in Cornwall, what a fit out or change of use needs

Commercial work is not domestic work with a bigger floor area. Fire strategy, means of escape, accessibility and often advertisement consent all shape the layout before a single trading decision is made, and a landlord, a building control body and sometimes a licensing officer will each want to see something specific.

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Change of use, the first question

Whether a change between uses needs planning permission depends on the use classes involved and the current rules, which have been revised more than once in recent years. It is checked against the current position for the specific unit, with the local planning authority, rather than from memory.

Fire and escape drive the layout

Escape routes, travel distances and fire resisting construction determine where partitions, doors and back of house spaces can sit. Settling these before the trading layout is agreed avoids redesigning a scheme that could never have been approved.

Accessibility and WC provision

Access into the unit, door widths, thresholds and accessible WC provision all form part of the package. Retrofitting them into a historic Cornish town centre shell takes care, particularly where the entrance sits above pavement level.

Shopfronts and signage

Shopfront alterations in Cornish town centres frequently sit within a Conservation Area, where materials, proportions and illumination are all assessed. Advertisement consent is a separate consent to planning permission and is worth resolving before signage is fabricated.

Shopfront design drawings and elevational studies
Advertisement consent applications where required
Landlord licence to alter packages and reinstatement drawings
Extraction and ventilation layouts for food and drink uses

Frequently asked

Straight answers.

Do I need planning permission to change a shop into a cafe?: It depends on the use classes involved and the current rules, so it is checked for the specific unit with the local planning authority rather than assumed.
What does building control want to see for a fit out?: Typically escape route layouts, fire resisting construction, ventilation and extraction, accessible provision and construction details for new elements.
Can you deal with my landlord's requirements?: Yes. Licence to alter packages, condition records of the existing unit and reinstatement drawings are all normal parts of commercial work.
Do you build commercial fit outs as well?: Yes. We draw and we build, so a commercial project can run under one contract from survey to handover if that suits you better.

Fitting out a commercial unit?

Tell us the unit and the intended use and we will set out which consents apply.

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