- Planning authority
- Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- SK1, SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater Manchester
What shapes a plot in Stockport
People living next door are consulted on every planning application, and across SK1, SK2, SK3 and SK4 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
Getting started in Stockport costs nothing. Send us a few photos of your garden and the way in, or simply call, and we’ll look at the plot from the desk and talk through your family’s plans. If there’s a realistic scheme, we arrange a site visit. Survey and design are quoted in writing before you commit, and the build price follows once the design is settled.
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.
Survey and design
A measured survey, then a design built around the person moving in: step-free routes, a ground-floor bedroom if needed and privacy for both households. You get a written quote after design and survey.
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.
Worth checking early
- A separate home needs its own garden, parking, bins and access, so it needs more land than an annexe.
- CIL exemptions are lost if work starts before the claim is made, and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years.
- Planning is the council’s decision, and an annexe is not a way round the rules that apply to a new house.
Stockport: questions to ask
Can you design a home in Stockport 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 Stockport 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.
Can I build a separate house in my Stockport garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council will look at access, parking, garden space for both houses, privacy and the character of the street, as it would for any new house. If permission is granted, the plot can be transferred to your child with its own title, with your lender’s consent if the house is mortgaged.
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Stockport?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Stockport 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 Stockport
- Garden plot option agreement
- Plot feasibility and design
- Sell part of your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Large rear gardens