A register that moves in several directions
Portsmouth City Council's register logged 265 commercial applications, 175 change-of-use applications and 32 commercial-to-residential proposals in the 12 months from 7 October 2025.
Recent examples include:
- Class MA prior approvals for a first floor to become a flat, and for a Class E unit to become two flats
- a workshop converted into three dwellings under Class MA
- a mixed shop and house becoming a ten-bedroom HMO with a mansard roof extension
- a mixed commercial and residential building becoming a dentist, with extensions and a new shopfront
- an office and a separate dwelling combined into a single house
Shops to large HMOs
A ten-bedroom HMO is a sui generis use, which means it needs full planning permission as well as a licence. Lenders will usually value the property on its existing use until both are in place, then take account of HMO income once it is let. The roof extension in that scheme also makes it a heavier project, with works funding released in stages.
Our page on HMO bridging loans sets out what lenders look for, from room sizes to the refinance onto an HMO mortgage.
Healthcare premises and workshops
The move from mixed use to a dental surgery is a reminder that bridging is not only for residential conversions. Buyers of clinics and surgeries sometimes need to complete before a term loan is ready, or to fund fit-out before a lease starts. Lenders view healthcare property on its lease, operator and fit-out. See medical property bridging finance.
Workshops converting to homes under Class MA are more straightforward, though lenders will check for contamination and noise issues that prior approval also considers.
Portsmouth prices, regulation and your next step
HM Land Registry data to 30 June 2026 records a median price of £250,500 across all property types in Portsmouth, from 2,921 transactions over 12 months, and a 0.2% change year on year.
Several Portsmouth schemes involve buildings that are part home, part business. If the security is, or will be, a home for you or an immediate family member, such as the single house formed from an office and dwelling, the loan is likely to be regulated and we introduce you to a firm directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our guide to regulated and unregulated bridging explains the line.
When you are ready, send us the property details, the planning position and your exit, and we will come back with indicative terms. Our how it works page explains each step.
For local residential and investment bridging, see our sister site bridgingloansportsmouth.co.uk.
