Class AA – pubs and wine bars with expanded food provision

Class AA allows you to take a pub, wine bar or other drinking establishment and expand it to offer food provision. 

Since 2021 pubs (or public house, wine bar or drinking establishment to give it its full title) moved to a Sui Generis use from A4, we also gained a separate Sui Generis use of drinking establishment with expanded food provision.

So if a pub wishes to go upmarket and start offering more than just a pork pie with a pint of beer, then Class AA allows them to open up a restaurant or similar within the premises.

It is important to note that this does not move the pub with restaurant into Use Class E as a restaurant. However, it is quite possible that pubs that transformed a while ago to a restaurant / bar will actually be in Use Class E – that ship has sailed. 

There is no prior approval required and so you can just go ahead and do this. It is permitted development. Your can remove the expanded food provision (restaurant to you and me) and return the property to a traditional pub or wine bar. 

You might be asking why is this really required. The answer is simple. To go from one Sui Generis use to another you always require planning permission. This can either be a formal planning application or it can be permitted development such as Class AA. 

Check out other permitted development options on our changes of use page.

Legislation

Class AA – drinking establishments with expanded food provision

Permitted development

AA. Development consisting of a change of use of a building and any land within its curtilage—

(a) from a use falling within article 3(6)(p) (public house, wine bar, or drinking establishment) of the Use Classes Order to a use falling within article 3(6)(q) (drinking establishment with expanded food provision) of that Order; 

(b) from a use falling within article 3(6)(q) to a use falling within article 3(6)(p).

Pubs Page updated: 29th August 2023