Planning Permission for Children's Homes: C2 Use Class Explained

Planning permission is required whenever you convert a residential dwelling (Use Class C3) into a children's home (Use Class C2) — in almost every case, and it should be tested alongside the home's location assessment.

Why a children's home is a material change of use

The change from a family home to a residential institution is a material change of use under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The planning system treats children's homes differently from ordinary family homes because they involve professional care provision, shift-pattern staffing, and higher levels of vehicle movements.

Even if the property looks like an ordinary house and you intend to care for only a small number of children, the legal use of the building changes the moment it operates as a registered children's home.

Use Class C2: Residential Institutions is the planning classification, set by the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended), that children's homes fall under.

What C2 covers

C2 covers use for the provision of residential accommodation and care to people in need of care — care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges, and training centres.

C2 vs C3

The key distinction is professional care provision. A C3 dwelling is a home occupied by a single person, a family, or up to 6 people living together as a single household. Once the property provides care to looked-after children by paid staff working in shifts, it ceases to be C3 and becomes C2.

To apply for planning permission for a change of use from C3 to C2, submit a planning application to the local planning authority (LPA) through the Planning Portal (planningportal.co.uk). Keep the planning evidence aligned with the fire risk assessment, because Ofsted reviews both before registration.

What you need to submit

• A completed application form.
• A site location plan at 1:1250 or 1:2500 scale, with the property outlined in red.
• A block plan at 1:500 showing the property in relation to neighbouring buildings.
• A Design and Access Statement, if required by your LPA.
• A planning statement explaining the proposed use, the number and age range of children, staffing levels, and vehicle movements.
• The application fee of £462 (2025–26 rate for a change of use application).

Deal with neighbour objections by engaging residents before submission and pre-empting their concerns in the application — objections are the single most common obstacle to planning permission for children's homes. When an application is submitted, the LPA notifies neighbouring properties, and many residents object.

Common objections include increased traffic and parking, noise and disturbance, anti-social behaviour, impact on property values, and safety concerns.

In practice, though, a high volume of objections can influence planning committee decisions even when the grounds are weak.

How to manage objections

• Consider engaging with immediate neighbours before submitting — explain what a children's home is and is not, answer questions honestly, and address misconceptions.
• Prepare a community impact statement as part of your application.
• Attend the planning committee meeting to present your case if the application is called in.

Many LPAs now have policies supporting children's homes as essential community infrastructure, which works in your favour.

Permitted development rights apply only marginally to children's homes — under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, certain changes of use do not require a planning application, but the relevant argument for a children's home is narrow and unsettled.

The "no material change" argument

For children's homes, the most relevant provision is the argument that a small home (up to 6 residents) caring for children in a family-style setting may not constitute a material change of use from C3 at all. This is distinct from formal permitted development — it is the argument that no change of use has occurred.

Planning case law on this point is not settled, and outcomes vary by authority.

An Article 4 direction is a power available to local planning authorities to remove permitted development rights in a specific area.

Several LPAs have introduced Article 4 directions specifically targeting the conversion of dwellings to children's homes (and other supported living) in areas where they consider there is already a concentration of provision.

An Article 4 direction does not mean permission will be refused — it means you must apply, and your application is assessed on its merits against local and national planning policy. In some cases, LPAs waive the application fee for applications made necessary solely by an Article 4 direction.

Planning permission takes 8–13 weeks and costs £462 in the application fee, because change-of-use applications are classified as "minor" development.

Timeline

The LPA has a statutory target of 8 weeks to determine a minor application, though many authorities take longer — 8–13 weeks is typical. If your application goes to a planning committee rather than being decided under delegated powers, add 2–4 weeks for the committee cycle.

Costs

Budget £2,000–£5,000 in total if using professional support, or £462 if you prepare the application yourself.

If planning permission is refused, you can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate within 6 months of the refusal decision — a refusal is not the end.

The appeal

Appeals are decided by an independent planning inspector who reviews the application fresh. The process takes 4–8 months depending on the method — written representations are fastest; a hearing or public inquiry takes longer.

Appeal or resubmit?

Review the reasons for refusal carefully. If they are technical — parking, traffic — consider amending the application and resubmitting rather than appealing. A resubmission is free if made within 12 months of the refusal. If the refusal was policy-based or politically driven, an appeal is often the better route.