- Decision
- dismissed, 28 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: N Unwin
- Authority
- Islington (London)
- Appeal reference
- 6002628
- Application reference
- P2025/2589/PRA
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Class MA prior approval: conversion of ground and first floors of a former public house building to 4 self-contained flats
- Homes
- 4
- Site context
- inside settlement, conservation area
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- No Framework version cited
- Determinative policies
- GPDO Sch2 Pt3 Class MA
- Main issues
- scope of Class MA
Summary
A Class MA prior approval for four flats in a former pub building failed because the upper floors were never in Class E use; they retained the pub's sui generis use. The prior-approval matters (conservation area, light, noise) were not reached (DL 10-11).
What made the difference
The planning unit history: the earlier permission changed only the ground and lower ground floors to Class E, so the proposal was not permitted development at all.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPDO Sch2 Pt3 Class MA | fail | first and second floors retain former public house (sui generis) use; only ground and lower ground are Class E, so change from sui generis to C3 is outside Class MA (DL 7-10) |
Key facts
- 2021 appeal changed only ground/lower ground floors from pub to Class E cafe (APP/V5570/W/21/3281724)
- Inspector: the 17 Aug 2026 Framework 'does not change the planning policy context in respect of the main issue' (DL 2)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.