Planning Consultants in Manchester
Greater Manchester is one of the UK's most dynamic development environments. Places for Everyone, a joint development plan adopted in 2024, sets strategic allocations and Green Belt boundaries across nine of the ten Greater Manchester districts, with Stockport preparing its own plan. Development in central Manchester frequently involves tall buildings policy, heritage assets, and major mixed-use regeneration. Salford Quays and the Oxford Road Corridor are among the most active planning areas.
Common in Manchester
Local planning authority: Manchester City Council, Salford City Council, Trafford Council, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Planning Consultants in Manchester and Greater Manchester
We advise developers, landowners, businesses and homeowners across Greater Manchester, including Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Tameside and Wigan, with support from our Leeds office.
Places for Everyone, adopted in March 2024, is the joint plan for nine of the ten Greater Manchester districts, setting strategic allocations and Green Belt boundaries to 2039. Each council also has its own local plan. In Manchester, the Core Strategy (2012) still applies while the new Manchester Local Plan, which runs to 2039, completed its final consultation in September 2026 and is due to be submitted for examination by the end of the year. Its draft policies seek 30% affordable housing on qualifying sites.
Flood risk from the Mersey, Medlock and Irk, and widespread surface water risk across the urban area, make the flood risk Sequential Test a frequent requirement. We offer fixed-fee Sequential Tests for Manchester, Tameside and Wigan.
Site in a flood zone?
Development in Flood Zones 2 and 3 usually needs a flood risk Sequential Test. For sites in Manchester, Tameside and Wigan we offer a fixed-fee Sequential Test for £300, delivered within 24 hours of payment.
Planning Services in Manchester
Urban Vista Planning provides the full range of planning consultancy services to clients across Manchester — from homeowners and landowners to developers and businesses. Our Chartered Town Planners are MRTPI-accredited and experienced in dealing with the planning authorities operating in Manchester.
- Planning permission applications
- Pre-application advice
- Planning appeals
- Permitted development assessments
- Lawful Development Certificates
- Change of use applications
- Heritage and listed building consent
- Ecology & Biodiversity Net Gain
- Highways and transport assessments
- Infrastructure consenting
- Equestrian and rural planning
- Discharge of planning conditions
Why Urban Vista Planning?
MRTPI & MCIHT Accredited
Our Chartered Town Planners and specialist associates are accredited and regulated by their professional bodies, including the RTPI and CIHT.
UK-Wide Coverage
We advise clients across England and Wales, including Manchester, from our offices in Taplow (Buckinghamshire), Leeds, and Hereford.
Free Initial Consultation
We provide an honest initial view of your project — what is achievable, the best consenting route, and likely timescales — at no charge.
Full-Service Consultancy
We manage the entire planning process: application preparation, specialist coordination, authority engagement, and conditions discharge.
Key Planning Constraints in Manchester
These designations and policy issues shape what can be built in Manchester. Identifying them early is the single most effective way to avoid delay, invalid applications and refusal.
Places for Everyone
The joint development plan for nine Greater Manchester districts sets strategic allocations and Green Belt boundaries.
Greater Manchester Green Belt
Green Belt surrounds the conurbation, although some land has been released for strategic sites.
Tall buildings and heritage
City centre towers are assessed against design, heritage and daylight considerations.
South Pennine Moors
Development on the eastern fringe must consider impacts on protected moorland.
Infrastructure & Energy Planning in Manchester
Manchester is the UK's largest data centre market outside London and a major transport and energy hub around Manchester Airport, Trafford Park and the Ship Canal. Grid capacity, heat networks and transport are recurring issues. We advise on data centre, energy and transport infrastructure consenting across Greater Manchester.
Planning in Manchester: FAQs
Which plan applies to planning applications in Manchester?
The Manchester Core Strategy (2012), together with Places for Everyone (2024), the joint plan for nine Greater Manchester districts. The new Manchester Local Plan completed its final consultation in September 2026 and is due to be submitted for examination by the end of 2026, so its draft policies are gaining weight.
What is Places for Everyone?
A joint development plan adopted in March 2024 by nine of the ten Greater Manchester councils, all except Stockport. It sets housing and employment requirements to 2039, strategic allocations and changes to the Green Belt, and sits alongside each council's own local plan.
Where is flood risk an issue in Manchester?
The Council's 2026 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment identifies the Mersey through Didsbury and Northenden, the Medlock and Corn Brook in parts of the city centre, and the Irk around Cheetham Hill and Blackley, with high surface water risk across the city. New development in Flood Zone 2 or 3 usually needs a Sequential Test, which we offer at a fixed fee.
Which council deals with planning applications in Manchester?
Planning applications in Manchester are determined by the local planning authority for the site — Manchester City Council, Salford City Council, Trafford Council, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
What are the main planning constraints in Manchester?
Key constraints in Manchester include Places for Everyone; Greater Manchester Green Belt; Tall buildings and heritage; South Pennine Moors. We identify which apply to your site at the outset so they can be addressed in the application rather than discovered during determination.
Do you advise on infrastructure and energy projects in Manchester?
Manchester is the UK's largest data centre market outside London and a major transport and energy hub around Manchester Airport, Trafford Park and the Ship Canal. Grid capacity, heat networks and transport are recurring issues. We advise on data centre, energy and transport infrastructure consenting across Greater Manchester.
Need a Planning Consultant in Manchester?
Book a free initial consultation — we will give you a clear view of your options and the best route forward.