Grove Construction specialises in office to residential conversions.

An empty office is one of the best housing sites you can buy. The structure is standing, the location is proven, and the planning route is often shorter than new build. Grove Construction takes these buildings from first appraisal to finished homes, as one contractor accountable for the whole job.

The planning route: Class MA

Most offices fall in Use Class E. In England, Class MA permitted development lets a Class E building change to residential use through prior approval, without a full planning application.

• The building needs two years of continuous Class E use before you apply.
• There is no floorspace cap and no vacancy requirement. Both were removed in March 2024, so larger and still-occupied buildings now qualify.
• The council has 56 days to decide.
• The conversion must be finished within three years of approval.
• Listed buildings are excluded, and a council can remove the right with an Article 4 direction. Several London boroughs have done so, which is why we check this first.

Class MA covers the change of use only. New windows, extensions and extra storeys need their own consent, and where Class MA does not apply the scheme goes through full planning.

What the council looks at

Prior approval is lighter than planning, but it is not automatic. The council assesses:

• Transport and highway impact
• Contamination and flood risk
• Noise from neighbouring commercial premises
• Natural light in every habitable room
• The effect on a conservation area, where the ground floor changes use
• Fire safety in taller buildings

Every home must also meet the nationally described space standard, which starts at 37 sq m for a one-person flat.

What makes a conversion work

Approval is the easy half. Offices were not built to be lived in, and the build is where these schemes succeed or fail.

• Daylight and layout. Deep floor plates leave rooms without windows. We test unit layouts early, and where needed form light wells or courtyards.
• Fire safety. Each flat becomes its own fire compartment, with protected escape routes and new alarm systems. Buildings of 18 m or seven storeys are higher-risk buildings, and the Building Safety Regulator acts as building control.
• Separating floors and walls are upgraded and tested to Building Regulations Part E.
• Insulation, glazing and ventilation are brought up to current residential standards.
• Central office plant comes out. Each flat gets its own heating, hot water, power, metering and drainage.
• New risers, openings and stair cores mean steelwork and temporary works. We survey for asbestos and structural condition before you commit.
  
  

How we deliver

1. We walk the building, check planning status and Article 4, and tell you how many homes it can hold.
2. Pre-construction. Surveys, design coordination, a fixed cost plan and a programme.
3. We work with your architect and planning consultant on prior approval or planning, and manage Building Regulations sign-off.
4. Strip-out and structure. Soft strip, asbestos removal, structural alterations.
5. Fit-out. Services, partitions, kitchens, bathrooms and communal areas.
6. Testing, certification, snagging and aftercare.
   
   

Why Grove?

• One contractor and one point of contact, from survey to keys.
• Over 25 years building homes in London and the South East.
• Well on our way to complete 1000 PD units by 2030
• Specialist in Permitted Development office to residential conversions
  
  

Questions we get asked…

Do I need planning permission to turn an office into flats?
Often not. Most offices qualify for Class MA, which needs prior approval from the council in place of a full planning application. Listed buildings and sites under an Article 4 direction need full planning.

Does the office have to be empty?
No. The vacancy rule was removed in March 2024. The building does need two years of Class E use behind it.

How long does approval take?
The council has 56 days to decide a prior approval application. A full planning application takes longer.

How long does the build take?
It depends on size, structure and how much of the existing services can stay. [Add Grove’s typical range, for example X to Y months for a scheme of Z homes.]

Which offices convert best?
Buildings with shallow floor plates, windows on at least two sides, sound structure and good floor-to-ceiling heights. Deep-plan buildings can still work, with fewer or larger homes.

Can you take on a building that is part-way through design?
Yes. We join at any stage, from appraisal before purchase to a consented scheme ready to build.

Got a building in mind? Send us the address and we will tell you what it could become.
Call us on 01344 283 333 or email enquiries@grvconstruction.co.uk