- Planning authority
- Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- M26
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.8 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater Manchester
How it plays out in Radcliffe
People living next door are consulted on every planning application, and across M26 that applies to a family annexe just as much as to a new house. Their privacy, outlook and light carry real weight with Bury 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.
How we’d take it forward in Radcliffe
From first call to keys, a family home in Radcliffe follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to Bury 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
- CIL exemptions are lost if work starts before the claim is made, and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Radcliffe
Can you design a home in Radcliffe 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 Bury 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 Radcliffe 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. Bury Metropolitan Borough Council’s council tax team can tell you how the rules apply to your household.
How long will building work disrupt my home in Radcliffe?
A single garden home usually takes several months on site, with the noisiest work, such as groundworks, drainage and heavy deliveries, concentrated near the start. We agree working hours, access and parking with you up front, and with the people next door where it affects them, so your household knows what each week will look like.
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Radcliffe?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Bury Metropolitan Borough Council will treat it as accommodation linked to your home and will usually add a condition so it can’t be let or sold separately. A garden building used only as a home office or gym is a different matter, but sleeping and cooking take it beyond those allowances.
Other options in Radcliffe
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garden plot option agreement
- Large rear gardens
- Bungalows on large plots
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Corner and side plots