Change of use for a book shop

doingitanyway

I will be going to view a house. With the current market I need to go prepared in case I like it and want to make an offer.

The house is next door to a book shop. I have no problem with that, in fact I like the idea as it is unlikely to be noisy in the evening. However, I wonder if use could change in the future. As far as I can see change of use has to be within the same category so a book shop can't become a betting shop or a pub, but I am not sure I have understood that correctly?

Can anyone who knows about this issue advise please.

Thank you. 

user1977

It could be anything else classed as retail without needing planning consent for change of use, so yes that excludes pubs etc, but could just as easily become a 24 hour supermarket.

Mortgage lenders can be wary of properties next door to commercial uses (though more so for those which are already "antisocial" in some way).

Section62

doingitanyway said:

However, I wonder if use could change in the future. As far as I can see change of use has to be within the same category so a book shop can't become a betting shop or a pub, but I am not sure I have understood that correctly?

In a planning sense "change of use" means change of use from one "use class" to another.

Changes of use (in the colloquial sense, e.g. from book shop to toy shop) are changes within class in planning terms. Prior approval or consent usually isn't required.

In addition there are certain combinations of changes between use classes which are permitted without the need for consent.  E.g. A1 (Retail) to A3 (Restaurant) is possible using the prior approval process.

But none of that means a book shop cannot be converted into a pub - it just means applying for planning consent for A1 to A4 use.

These days it is far more common to see shops converted to restaurants than it would be to pubs... and in some respects living next door to a restaurant can be more problematic than living next to a pub. Worth bearing in mind.

doingitanyway

Thank you @user1977 and @Section62 for your helpful posts.
I think I will leave the house off my viewings list. It feels too much of a risk.