Buildings are categorised by the The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 into four groups:

Class A - shops, restaurants, banks etc
Class B - offices, workshops, factories and warehouses
Class C - residential
Class D - non-residential institutions, assembly and leisure uses.

The above categories are further split into subclasses. Any uses not falling into a class are categorised as"sui generis”.

Under the 2015 Order planning permission is not needed for changes in use within each subclass and for certain changes of use between some classes.  The changes are summarised as follows:

Betting and payday loan shops
Moved into “sui generis”.  Therefore a planning application is now necessary before a building can be converted into those uses.

Public houses
Permitted development rights, which had allowed a public house to be demolished or have its use changed, have been removed where the public house is listed as an asset of community value.

Change from office to residential use
This was originally a temporary permitted development right that was due to expire on 30 May 2016, but new regulations make this right permanent from 6 April 2016.  Changes will have to be completed within three years of obtaining prior approval from the local planning authority.

Change from launderette to residential use
Regulations will allow launderettes to change use to housing from 6 April 2016.

Change from light industrial to residential use
Regulations will allow light industrial buildings (up to 500 sq m) to change use to housing from 1 October 2017.

Note: In some circumstances local planning authorities can suspend permitted development rights in their area under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.

For further information, the full House of Commons Briefing Paper can be downloaded at:
http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN01301/SN01301.pdf