A change of use application without any details would be, in effect, an outline application, and that can't be done just for a change of use. You mention that the building is listed, in which case I would be very surprised if the relevant council would accept anything less than full details of a proposed layout. It's also the case that even an outline application for new buildings these days has, at the very least, to specify the maximum amount of the development and indicative layout and minimum /maximum dimensions of buildings. Imagining a loosening of the regs for a moment, and transposing this to your change of use scenario, you would still need a maximum no. of flats to be stated, together with an indicative layout and minimum/maximum flat/room sizes. Either way, I don't see a drawing-free solution. Personally, I'd like to see the outline regs being loosened again - for some sites a red line should be good enough to establish a principle - and I don't see why changes of use should be excluded from the concept of the outline permission.
