Planning rules to be relaxed so pubs and restaurants can operate as hot food takeaways during the coronavirus outbreak.
- By Elaine Bird
- 18 March 2020
- North-West Norfolk
- Share:

Government to grant permission for pubs and restaurants to operate as takeaways as part of coronavirus response
Currently, planning permission is required for businesses to carry out a change of use to a hot food takeaway. The government has confirmed regulations will be relaxed to enable businesses to deliver this service without a planning application.
The relaxations to planning rules will be put in place as soon as possible to provide reassurance to businesses and enable them to start providing takeaways to people quickly.
The measures will apply to hot food and drinks. Serving of alcoholic drinks will continue to be subject to existing licensing laws.
Permitted development rights allow movement between one use class and another for example from a restaurant (A3) to a shop (A1) without planning permission.
The government will introduce a time limited permitted development right through secondary legislation (negative SI) to allow the temporary change of use of a pub (A4 - drinking establishment) and a restaurant (A3 – restaurants and cafes) to a hot-food take away for a period of up to 12 months only.
Businesses will be required to tell the local planning authority when the new use begins and ends.