- 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
How it plays out in Bramhall
Some of the strongest conditional sales involve more than one garden. If your plot in Bramhall is a little narrow, a neighbour’s garden beside it may make a better scheme possible, and the same is true in places nearby such as Cheadle Hulme, Hazel Grove and Wilmslow. Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council would then judge one application for the combined site. Each owner can sign a separate conditional contract, linked so that none completes unless the scheme for the whole site is approved.
That needs careful drafting and patience, and it isn’t right for every street. When it does fit, it can turn two awkward plots into one good one.
What happens next in Bramhall
From first enquiry to exchange of contracts usually takes a few months, set mainly by the solicitors and any title questions. The planning stage then runs on its own timetable, depending on surveys and on Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council. We keep you updated throughout, share the drawings before submission and tell you as soon as a decision is issued.
Free plot appraisal
We check your title, access, planning history and local policy from our desk, then talk it through with you. If a new home looks realistic, we visit the garden and tell you which route we think suits it best.
Exchange of conditional contracts
Both solicitors agree the contract and the plan of the plot. On exchange, both sides are bound, subject to the planning condition, and our contract is noted on your title so the plot can’t be sold elsewhere.
Planning application
We commission the surveys, prepare the drawings, seek pre-application advice where useful and submit the application, normally at our cost. You see the plans before they go in, and the council makes the decision.
Completion, or you keep your land
Once a satisfactory permission is granted and any challenge period has passed, the sale completes within the agreed time and the plot gets its own title. If permission is refused and the contract ends, the land stays yours.
Worth checking early
- The plot can’t be sold to anyone else while the contract runs, even if another offer comes along.
- The definition of satisfactory permission and the long-stop date decide how certain the sale really is; read both closely.
- Capital Gains Tax timing on a conditional sale can differ from an ordinary sale; take advice from a tax adviser.
Bramhall: questions to ask
Can I still use my garden in Bramhall while the contract runs?
Yes. The plot stays yours until completion, so you carry on using it as garden. The contract will ask you not to build on it, fell trees or grant new rights over it without agreement, and to allow surveyors in from time to time, by arrangement. Your solicitor will point out anything specific.
Do I pay for the planning application on my Bramhall garden plot?
We normally fund the planning application, including surveys and drawings. Any recovery of those costs is agreed in heads of terms before you sign, for example as a deduction from the price at completion. You see the full position before instructing a solicitor, so there are no surprises later.
Is a sale subject to planning in Bramhall better than an option?
It depends on the plot. A conditional sale binds both sides from exchange and suits a single plot with a clear scheme. An option gives us a right to buy rather than an obligation, and suits plots where the outcome is less certain or the timescale is longer. We’ll recommend one after the appraisal.
Will my neighbours in Bramhall be told about the application?
Yes. Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council publicises applications through letters to neighbours, a site notice, or both, depending on its practice. Neighbours can comment, and the council weighs their views against planning policy. You can choose whether to speak to adjoining owners before the application goes in, and we’ll fit in with what you prefer.
Other options in Bramhall
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garage courts and yards
- Sell part of your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours

