Planning and regeneration Planning permission

Check if you need planning permission

If you go ahead without permission, you may end up having to put things back to how they were.

As a general guide, you need planning permission for new buildings, major alterations to existing buildings and to change the use buildings or land.

But you don’t usually need it for changes inside a building, for small alterations to the outside, or to put up walls or fences below a certain height.

For more about when you do and don’t need planning permission, see:
Planning Portal: Do you need permission?

Manchester specific rules

We may have specific rules for Manchester that may affect whether you need planning permission. For example, In Manchester you will need planning permission to change a family house into a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) or, in some areas, to change offices to flats because we have Article 4 Directions in place.

If in doubt contact us before you do any work.

Validation Checklists

We have a comprehensive list of local planning validation requirements covering the following types of applications:

  • Full, Outline, Reserved Matters, Variation or removal of conditions
  • Householder
  • Listed building
  • Advertisements
  • Prior approval for telecommunications
  • Prior approval for demolition

Do you need building approval?

As well as getting planning permission you may need separate approval for a new building, extension or major alteration.

The work needs to reach certain standards so that the building is safe and energy efficient.

See building regulation approval

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