Land with planning permission wanted in Manchester
We are actively looking for land with planning permission in Manchester and the surrounding area, with or without planning permission.
Planning permission turns land into a development site with a defined scheme. We are buyers for consented land of all sizes, from a single approved plot to larger outline permissions, and we review the conditions and legal agreements in detail before making an offer.
- Size
- Any number of homes
- Planning
- Outline, full or reserved matters
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
The land with planning permission that interests us around Manchester
For consented land around Manchester, the first things we read are the decision notice, the conditions and any legal agreement attached to the permission. Manchester is the main city of Greater Manchester. Nearby places we also cover include Salford, Stretford and Eccles.
- Outline permissions, full permissions and approved reserved matters
- Permissions that are close to their time limit to start work
- Sites where some pre-commencement conditions are still to be discharged
- Larger consented schemes where the owner does not want to build
Greater Manchester is a dense conurbation centred on Manchester and Salford, ringed by towns such as Bolton, Wigan, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Stockport and Altrincham. Green Belt separates many of these towns and covers the moorland fringe, so most housing land is previously developed: former mills, industrial estates, yards and town-centre sites. Grey belt and small edge-of-settlement fields can also come forward on the urban fringe.
Checks we make on land with planning permission in Manchester
Conditions
Pre-commencement conditions, such as drainage or ecology details, must be dealt with before work can lawfully start.
Planning obligations
Section 106 contributions, affordable housing and any Community Infrastructure Levy all affect what the land is worth to a builder.
Title and access
Consent does not cure title problems, so rights of access and covenants still need checking.
In England, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August 2026 replaced the old "tilted balance" with new settlement policies: development within a settlement should normally be approved unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, while land outside a settlement can gain support in defined circumstances.
Parts of Greater Manchester are Green Belt, though not every town has any nearby. We check early whether a site is inside it and, if so, whether a grey belt or previously developed land case could apply.
We are based in Great Barr, Birmingham, around 66 miles from Manchester, and we travel to see sites across England and Wales.
Ways to sell land with planning permission in Manchester
Outright purchase
We agree a price and buy the land, with no planning condition attached.
Outright purchaseSubject-to-planning contract
Used where a fresh or amended application would improve the scheme.
Subject-to-planning contractOption agreement
Rarely needed once permission exists, but possible for phased sites.
Option agreementThe next steps
Send the basics
A postcode or plan and a few lines about the land are enough to start.
We do the homework
We check planning history, policy, flood maps and access at no cost to you.
We explain the options
You get a written proposal covering price, structure and timing.
Agree and proceed
Once you are happy, solicitors are instructed and the deal moves forward.
Frequently asked in Greater Manchester
My permission expires soon. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Depending on the time left and the conditions, it may be possible to make a lawful start, apply again or vary the scheme. Tell us the expiry date as soon as you can.
Will the Section 106 obligations transfer to the buyer?
Planning obligations usually run with the land, so they bind whoever owns it. We review them as part of our due diligence.
Can an agent introduce land in Manchester to you?
Yes. Estate agents, land agents and planning consultants can introduce sites with the owner's consent. Any fee is agreed in writing before details are shared, confirmed by the owner in writing and paid only on completion.
How quickly can you look at a site in Manchester?
For most sites we can give an initial view once we have the location and a plan. Detailed checks follow if the land looks suitable.