Planning permission is often required when a franchise involves a change of use or building works, but plenty of fit-outs proceed without a fresh application. The two triggers to watch are a change of use (swapping the previous occupier’s activity for a different one) and physical alterations to the building. Check with the local planning authority early: standard decisions take 8 weeks, rising to 13 weeks for larger or complex schemes.
When planning permission is required for a franchise site
Change of use is the most common reason a franchise premises needs permission. If the previous occupier ran a different type of business, the switch to your franchise’s activity may count as a material change of use, and that generally needs an application before you open. The Planning Portal’s change of use guidance confirms that changing the use of a building or land usually requires permission, and any internal building work tied to that change is likely to need sign-off too.
Some franchise moves are higher risk than others:
- Converting a shop (retail) into a café or hot food takeaway typically counts as a material change of use.
- Turning an office into a retail unit, or a retail unit into a gym or clinic, often needs permission.
- Taking over a unit that already holds the right use class for your franchise, with no structural changes, may need nothing at all.
Internal fit-outs, new counters, partitions, flooring, rarely trigger an application on their own. External works, including new windows, extensions, extraction flues or altered shopfronts, are a different matter and usually do. Before signing anything, pull the property’s planning history from the council’s website and ring the local planning authority to ask what was last approved on that site. A five-minute call can save months of delay.
How Use Classes and change of use rules affect franchise businesses
Every commercial building sits within a Use Class under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order, and the class assigned to a property determines what you can do there without a fresh application. The Planning Portal explains the current use classes and how they were last restructured on 1 September 2020, folding most shops, offices, restaurants and services into a single flexible Class E, with separate classes for uses such as pubs, takeaways and drinking establishments.
Moves that normally need an application include:
- Switching from Class E (shops, offices, cafés, gyms, clinics) to a hot food takeaway or drinking establishment.
- Moving from any commercial class into residential use, or vice versa.
- Introducing a use with no clear class, such as certain leisure or industrial operations.
Some changes within the flexible classes, or between specific permitted pairings, can proceed under permitted development rights without a full application. Where you are not sure whether your franchise’s use falls inside the existing class, prior approval or a lawful development certificate can confirm the position before you commit to a lease.
Prior approval, permitted development and lawful development certificates
These three routes sit between “definitely needs a full application” and “definitely doesn’t”, and knowing which applies can save weeks.
- Prior approval is a lighter-touch check the council carries out for specific permitted development rights, often covering things like extensions, change of use within certain classes, or works near flood zones.
- Permitted development rights allow some building work or changes of use without a planning application at all, though they come with conditions on size, location and prior notification that vary by property and area.
- A lawful development certificate is a formal written confirmation from the council that your proposed use or works do not need permission, useful evidence to keep on file and to show a landlord or lender.
For franchise fit-outs, permitted development rights most often come up around minor extensions, internal alterations and certain changes between compatible use classes. If your franchise agreement mandates specific signage, shopfronts or extraction systems, check each element separately, because permitted development covering the use class does not automatically cover every physical change that goes with it.
How long decisions take and what planning fees and costs to expect
Most planning decisions in the UK follow a predictable timetable, which makes early budgeting straightforward.
- Most applications are decided within 8 weeks, with up to 13 weeks for large or complex schemes, so factor that into your fit-out and opening date.
- Planning application fees are set nationally and vary by the type and scale of development, so check the fee schedule on the Planning Portal or your council’s website before submitting.
- Pre-application advice from the local planning authority usually carries its own smaller fee, and is often worth paying for sensitive sites.
Decisions on most planning applications land within 8 weeks, or 13 weeks for complex cases. That window should shape your fit-out schedule and any rent-free period you negotiate with the landlord.
Beyond the application fee itself, budget for a planning consultant or architect if your scheme involves external works, a design and access statement for anything structural, and potential Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy contributions on larger developments. Franchisors often mandate a specific refit to brand standard, which adds cost on top of anything the council requires, so get both figures before you sign a lease.
Property and lease checks that affect planning for franchise resales
Planning problems are not the only thing that delays a franchise opening. For resales in particular, the lease itself is often the bigger obstacle. The British Franchise Association’s guidance for resale buyers points to property due diligence, especially lease assignability and landlord consent, as a common cause of delay in these transactions.
Before committing to a resale, work through this list:
- Confirm the lease can be assigned to you, and check for any clause that lets the landlord refuse or delay consent.
- Read the permitted use clause carefully: it must match your franchise’s trading activity, not just the previous tenant’s.
- Check whether the lease has been contracted out of statutory renewal rights, which affects your security of tenure.
- Order local authority searches and a planning history check on the property before exchange, not after.
- Ask whether any restrictive covenants on the title limit signage, opening hours or the type of trade allowed.
Pro tip: Make landlord consent a condition precedent in the sale agreement wherever possible, so you are not left holding a property you cannot legally occupy.
Landlord consent often comes with conditions attached, a rent deposit, a schedule of works, or a guarantor requirement, so ask the current tenant’s solicitor for sight of any correspondence on this early. Our guide to franchise due diligence in the UK covers the wider legal checklist alongside these planning-specific points.
Common planning issues for franchise openings and refits
Signage causes more disputes than almost anything else in a franchise fit-out. Illuminated signs, projecting signs and anything in a conservation area typically need advertisement consent separate from planning permission for the building itself, and councils apply tighter controls on brightness, size and hours of illumination in sensitive locations. If your franchise brand has a standard light box or projecting sign, check it against local rules before ordering it.
Watch for these recurring pain points:
- Shopfront alterations in conservation areas or on listed buildings face extra scrutiny and often need a separate listed building consent.
- External alterations, including new doors, canopies or extraction flues, usually need permission even when the use itself does not change.
- Food businesses must register with the local authority for food hygiene purposes, separate from any planning consent.
- Alcohol licensing, where relevant, is a distinct process from planning and runs on its own timetable.
- Certain trades, such as car washes, dry cleaners or anything with fume extraction, may need an environmental permit alongside planning permission.
Checking advertisement consent and shopfront rules at the same time as the main planning application avoids a second round of delay once the building work is already under way. A specialist in franchise digital signage for multi-location owners can help you plan signage that meets both brand standards and local constraints before you order anything.
Step-by-step checklist: applying for planning permission for a franchise site
Work through the process in order rather than jumping straight to the application form.
- Check the property’s current use class and planning history with the local authority.
- Review the lease or heads of terms for permitted use, assignability and landlord consent conditions.
- Identify any constraints: conservation area, listed status, flood risk or article 4 direction.
- Book a pre-application meeting with the local planning authority if the scheme involves building work or a change of use.
- Commission drawings, a design and access statement, and any supporting reports the council flags as necessary.
- Submit the application and pay the relevant fee, then track it against the 8 or 13 week timetable.
- Once approved, discharge any conditions attached to the permission before starting work.
- If refused, take advice on whether to amend and resubmit or appeal.
- Arrange building control sign-off once works are complete, separate from the planning permission itself.
| Stage | What happens | Typical driver |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-application | Use class, lease and constraint checks | Local authority records, lease terms |
| Application | Drawings, statements, fee submission | Planning Portal guidance |
| Decision | Approval, conditions or refusal | 8 to 13 week timescale |
| Post-decision | Discharge conditions, building control | Council and building control body |
Our step-by-step guide to buying a franchise in the UK sets this checklist alongside the wider purchase process, useful if you are evaluating several sites at once.
Working with the local planning authority and professionals
A pre-application meeting with the council is worth the modest fee on anything involving external works, a conservation area or a change of use, because it flags objections before you have spent money on drawings. Business.gov.uk’s guidance on setting up retail and consumer premises notes that this kind of early conversation materially reduces uncertainty on sensitive sites.
Bring these to the table before you meet the planning officer:
- A clear description of the franchise’s trading activity and hours.
- Site plans and photographs of the existing building and shopfront.
- Any franchisor-mandated fit-out specification, including signage and extraction.
Pro tip: Ask the planning officer directly whether the site has an article 4 direction removing permitted development rights, since that single question can change your entire timeline.
A planning consultant earns their fee on anything with heritage, noise or environmental complexity. An architect handles drawings and the design and access statement. A solicitor should check the lease and title regardless of how straightforward the planning side looks, a point our guide on why legal advice is vital before buying a UK franchise covers in more depth.
Franchise Local: find UK franchise listings and planning resources
A digital directory lets you filter UK franchise opportunities by industry, investment level and lifestyle fit, so you can narrow your search to brands whose typical premises match what you are prepared to take on with planning. Curated listings and trending searches surface options worth a closer look, and the site’s planning toolkit adds practical resources for the site-selection stage, budgeting for fit-out costs and working through the checks covered in this article.
- Search and filter franchise opportunities by price, industry and location.
- Browse curated and trending listings to shortlist brands that suit your budget and premises constraints.
- Use the planning toolkit and related guides when you reach the site-selection and due diligence stage.
If you are weighing up a new unit or a resale, browse trending franchise opportunities on Franchise Local to see what is currently available across the UK before you start talking to landlords.
Sources
Keep these close during your search: GOV.UK’s planning timescales guidance for decision windows, the Planning Portal for use classes and change of use rules, Business.gov.uk for practical premises setup notes, and the British Franchise Association for resale-specific due diligence advice. Your local council’s planning pages hold the forms, fee schedules and property search tools you will use most often.
- Planning Portal — Change of use and planning permission
- Business
- British Franchise Association — What should prospective buyers consider when purchasing a franchise resale?
FAQ
How much does it cost to open a franchise in the UK?
Costs vary enormously by brand, sector and location, covering the franchise fee, fit-out, stock and working capital, so there is no single figure that applies across the market. Check specific franchise listings on Franchise Local for investment levels by brand and industry.
What are the disadvantages of a franchise?
Franchisees typically face ongoing fees, restrictions on how they run the business, and limited control over suppliers, signage or pricing compared with an independent start-up. Property and planning constraints can add further cost and delay if the premises need a change of use or significant fit-out work before trading.
How do I start a franchise in the UK?
Start by researching franchise opportunities that match your budget and interests, then carry out due diligence on the franchisor, the agreement and the premises, including planning and lease checks covered in this article. Our guide to buying a franchise in the UK sets out the full process in order.
What is the cheapest franchise to open in the UK?
Entry costs vary by brand and change over time, so there is no fixed answer, but home-based and mobile franchises generally carry lower setup costs than those needing a full retail unit. Browse Franchise Local’s listings filtered by investment level to compare current options.
Do I need planning permission to buy an existing franchise unit?
If the unit already trades under a use class compatible with your franchise and you are not altering the building, you may not need a fresh application. Any change of use or external works still need checking with the local planning authority before you commit, and BFA resale guidance flags lease and landlord consent as the more common cause of delay.