- Planning authority
- Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- SK7
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater Manchester
Before you decide in Hazel Grove
People living next door are consulted on every planning application, and across SK7 that applies to a family annexe just as much as to a new house. Their privacy, outlook and light carry real weight with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. A design that keeps upper windows away from adjoining gardens, uses obscure glazing where it has to, and leaves a planted margin along the boundary gives the council fewer reasons to refuse. A quiet word with the people either side before the application goes in is often worthwhile too.
From first call to decision
From first call to keys, a family home in Hazel Grove follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council; approval under the Building Regulations and any CIL exemption claimed before work starts; then the build, with you living next door throughout. You receive a written quote after design and survey, and we keep the household updated at each stage.
Free plot appraisal
We look at your plot, access and the planning picture from the desk, talk through who will live in the new home, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Annexe or separate home
We set out both routes for your plot, covering what each means for planning, ownership, council tax, CIL and VAT, so you can decide with your family and advisers before design starts.
Planning and approvals
We prepare and submit the planning application and manage it with the council, which makes the decision. Before work starts, approval under the Building Regulations is in place and any CIL exemption has been claimed.
Build and handover
We build while you carry on living next door, with access, deliveries and working hours agreed up front. At handover you get the completion certificate and the paperwork you’ll need for council tax, lenders and any VAT claim.
Worth checking early
- Family plans change: agree ownership, costs and what happens if circumstances change in writing, with a solicitor.
- An annexe tied by planning condition usually can’t be sold or let separately, which limits flexibility later.
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
Your questions, answered for Hazel Grove
Can I reclaim VAT on a family annexe in Hazel Grove?
Often not. HMRC’s guidance gives an annexe that can’t be used or sold separately from the main house as an example of work that can’t be zero-rated, and the DIY housebuilders refund scheme asks the same question. A separate dwelling is usually treated differently. Take advice from a tax adviser before you settle the planning route, because the wording of the permission matters.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Hazel Grove?
There’s no fixed figure. A single-storey annexe close to the house can work on a smaller plot than a separate dwelling, which needs its own garden, parking and access. What matters is whether Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council can be satisfied on privacy, daylight and the space left for both homes. The free appraisal gives you a first view based on your plot’s actual shape and access.
Can you design a home in Hazel Grove for a relative who uses a wheelchair?
Yes. The design can include a level approach and threshold, turning space in each room, a wet room, wider doors and worktops at a usable height. Where Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council requires a particular access standard through planning, the design meets it; otherwise it’s your choice how far to go. Input from your relative’s occupational therapist is well worth having.
Will an annexe in Hazel Grove put up my council tax?
It might. Annexes can be banded separately, but exemptions exist for annexes lived in by certain dependent relatives, and in some cases a discount applies where family live there or the annexe is used as part of the main home. Who qualifies depends on the relative’s circumstances and how the annexe is used. Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council’s council tax team can tell you how the rules apply to your household.
Other options in Hazel Grove
- Bungalows on large plots
- Build a new home in your garden
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning permission for a garden plot

