- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 10
- City
- Manchester
How councils in Greater Manchester look at it
Garden schemes in Greater Manchester are read against the council’s Local Plan and the council’s design guide or supplementary planning document, and wording differs between authorities, so a layout approved in one place may need rethinking elsewhere. Common themes are the height of the new home compared with its neighbours, the gap between facing windows, the size of the gardens left behind, and whether the plot follows the established pattern of the street. Paid pre-application advice can be worthwhile where policy is strict or the plot is unusual in shape.
Planning authorities covering Greater Manchester include Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, Manchester City Council, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Rochdale Borough Council, Salford City Council, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, Trafford Council, Wigan Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We check the title plan, access, constraints and planning policy from our desk, talk the plot through with you, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Survey and design
A measured survey records levels, boundaries, trees and neighbouring windows. We then design a layout and house that suit the plot, the street and your budget, and decide whether pre-application advice is worth seeking.
Planning and approvals
We submit the planning application and manage it to a decision, then deal with conditions, Building Regulations approval, the structural warranty, any build-over agreement and the new utility connections.
Written quote and build
Once design and survey are complete you get a written quote. The build runs in stages — access and groundworks, foundations, frame and roof, fit-out and external works — with inspections at each key point.
Handover
You receive the completion certificate, warranty documents, Energy Performance Certificate, manuals and utility details, so the new home is ready to move into, let or put on the market.
Build in your garden in towns across Greater Manchester
- Manchester
- Oldham
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Stockport
- Salford
- Rochdale
- Sale
- Bury
- Altrincham
- Middleton
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Leigh
- Stretford
- Urmston
- Chadderton
- Eccles
- Tyldesley
- Hyde
- Walkden
- Prestwich
- Radcliffe
- Cheadle Hulme
- Heywood
- Denton
- Stalybridge
- Ashton-in-Makerfield
- Westhoughton
- Farnworth
- Saddleworth
- Hindley
- Golborne
- Droylsden
- Whitefield
- Swinton
- Royton
- Atherton
- Dukinfield
- Failsworth
- Hazel Grove
- Irlam
- Horwich
- Bramhall
- Ramsbottom
- Bredbury
- Hale
Questions about build in your garden in Greater Manchester
What fire safety rules affect a garden house in the Greater Manchester area?
Building control will look for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On plots reached by a long or narrow drive this often shapes the layout, so we settle the fire strategy during design rather than after planning. Bin storage distances, access width and turning space are checked at the same stage, because each one can move the house.
Do you build new homes in gardens across the Greater Manchester area?
Yes. We offer garden design and build across Greater Manchester, from the first appraisal to handover. We’re a new brand within the S&K Group, so rather than pointing to past jobs we set out a clear process: a free appraisal, a measured survey and design, a planning application, and a written build quote once the plot’s real costs are known.
How is rainwater dealt with in Greater Manchester garden plots?
Rain from the new roof and drive must be managed on site, and for a new home that usually means a drainage plan the council will want to see. Soakaways, permeable paving, rain gardens or a controlled outflow are the usual options, depending on ground conditions and flood risk. We look at levels and soil at survey stage so the drainage design fits the plot.
How long does planning take for a garden plot in Greater Manchester?
The council usually has eight weeks from validation to decide a small application, though extensions are often agreed, and the whole process takes longer. Surveys, design work, pre-application advice and amendments all add time, and some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year. We’ll give you a realistic timetable for your plot rather than a promise.
Other options in Greater Manchester
- Planning permission for a garden plot in Greater Manchester
- Joint venture on your garden plot in Greater Manchester
- Corner and side plots in Greater Manchester
- Bungalows on large plots in Greater Manchester
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in Greater Manchester
- Plot feasibility and design in Greater Manchester