C3(a) and C3(b) typically refer to specific use classes under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) in England. These classifications relate to residential properties. Here’s the difference:
• C3(a) – This class covers single private dwellings used by a single person, a couple, or a family. It also includes properties where up to six people live together as a single household, such as a house shared by a group of friends under a single tenancy agreement.
• C3(b) – This class applies to residential care situations, such as small group homes where up to six people live together and receive care. This could include supported housing for disabled people, the elderly, or those recovering from substance abuse, as long as the residents live as a household.
C3(c) is the third subcategory within Class C3 (Dwellinghouses) under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) in England. It covers:
• Groups of people living together in a single household who do not fall under C3(a) or C3(b).
• This typically includes arrangements like lodgings or houses where residents live together as a household but are not necessarily related.
Example scenarios for C3(c):
• A group of up to six people living together under a single tenancy but who are not a family unit (e.g., a religious community or a group of PAs supporting a disabled person).
• A landlord living with tenants in a single household (but without it being classified as a house in multiple occupation (HMO)).