UK Landlord Forum / Life

I have a bit of a dilemma and wondered if there is anyone that can give me some advice?  Sorry if it's a bit long winded.
I bought a dilapidated shop about 15 years ago for my business.  I bought it as a lockup shop with accommodation.  When we did it up we used the upstairs accommodation/flat for training rooms for our business but this did not take off so we just used it for storage of cardboard and rubbish etc. We never declared to the rates people that we were changing the use as storage and since have only been charged one lot of rates for the whole property.  With the constant worry of running a business with the recession I have retired and given the business to my son. The premises were always owned by me and rented to the business. I therefore have decided to rent the accommodation out.
Because I have not used the accommodation for living in when I let the authorities know I am renting it out will they class it as change of uses and make me go through planning and building regs?  I know many will say asked them but once I have committed myself I know they will say it will be change of use and make me go through the new rules and regulations.
Any help greatly appreciated.

if it has seperate entrance and has previously been used as accomodation i dont see you will have a problem!

you may end up with a council tax bill for the flat and rates for the shop but hopefully they will reduce the rates if you are only using the shop for business?

personally i would just do it and see what nosy b****ds come out of the woodwork. but thats me.

if they want to be really pedantic then you may have to put in retrospective planning but its hardly likely i would say.