Bury Council: Article 4 Direction for HMOs
Incoming
- Local Planning Authority
- Bury Council
- Region
- North West
- Coverage
- Borough-wide
- Status
- Incoming
- Effective date
- -
- Compensation eligible
- No
What is the Bury Article 4 direction?
Bury Council has made an Article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation that is with an effective date to be confirmed. Once in force, the borough-wide direction will require planning permission for all conversions from Class C3 (dwellinghouse) to Class C4 (small HMO with 3-6 unrelated occupants).
What this means for HMO investors
Because the Article 4 direction is borough/city-wide, every residential property in Bury's area is affected. Investors planning to acquire and convert family homes into HMOs in this area should budget time and cost for a full planning application, even for properties that would otherwise qualify as small HMOs under permitted development.
If you're considering acquiring or converting a property in Bury, factor planning permission into your due-diligence timeline and budget. Refused applications can scupper a deal, and unauthorised conversions risk enforcement action and lender complications.
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Compiled from Planning Geek and the Bury Council direction documents on the council's planning portal. Always verify current status with the council before acting on this information - Article 4 directions are revised, extended, or revoked from time to time.
Page generated 2026-05-12. Data last updated 2026-05-12.