Planning and Regulations · Wigan

Commercial to Residential Conversion in Wigan

Last updated 08/26 · 9 minute read · Renovat Construction

Converting a shop, office or other commercial building into a home in Wigan is usually possible without full planning permission, using the Class MA permitted development right, provided the building has been in a qualifying commercial use for at least two continuous years and the change goes through a prior approval application costing £260 per new home in 2026. Full planning permission, which costs £610 per dwelling for a small scheme, is only needed where Class MA does not apply, such as listed buildings or premises without the two year use history. Fit out costs for turning a commercial unit into a home in Wigan typically run from £900 to £1,600 per square metre in 2026. Always check the local position first: Wigan Council has already used its Article 4 powers to remove permitted development rights for small HMOs across the whole borough and for standard alterations on specific streets in Leigh town centre, so the same active approach could be extended to Class MA conversions in future.

Does My Wigan Building Qualify for Class MA?

Class MA is the permitted development right at Part 3 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, inserted from 21 April 2021 and available for applications from 1 August 2021. It allows a building in Use Class E, which covers shops, restaurants, financial and professional services, offices, indoor sport and fitness, health and medical services, and creches or nurseries, to change use to a dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) without a full planning application.

Before assuming your Wigan building qualifies, check it against these conditions:

• Two year use test: the building must have been in Use Class E, or one of the predecessor uses it absorbed in September 2020 (shops, financial and professional services, restaurants, offices, health centres, creches, or certain leisure uses), for a continuous period of at least two years immediately before the prior approval application.
• No floorspace cap since March 2024: earlier versions of Class MA capped conversions at 1,500 square metres and required the building to have been vacant for three months before applying. Both restrictions were removed by an amendment that took effect on 5 March 2024, so larger and currently occupied Class E buildings can now qualify.
• Absolute exclusions: Class MA cannot be used for listed buildings or scheduled monuments, land within a site of special scientific interest, or safety hazard areas. It also cannot be used where an Article 4 direction has specifically removed the right for that site.
• Completion window: once prior approval is granted, the change of use must be completed within 3 years.

Source: legislation.gov.uk, Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 3, Class MA.

The 8 Checks Wigan Council Must Carry Out

Class MA does not need a planning application, but it does need prior approval, and Wigan Council has to assess your scheme against a fixed list of matters before the change of use can go ahead. Get any one of these wrong and the whole application can be refused, so it is worth checking each point before you submit.

Prior Approval Matter	What Wigan Council Assesses
Transport and highways	Safe vehicle and pedestrian access to the new homes
Contamination	Whether the site or building carries contamination risks to future occupiers
Flooding	Flood risk affecting the building
Noise	Noise impact on future residents from neighbouring commercial premises
Natural light	Adequate natural light in every habitable room, a common reason layouts need redesigning
Conservation area impact	Only assessed where the ground floor fronts a conservation area, relevant to buildings inside the Leigh Town Centre Conservation Area
Industrial or storage area impact	Whether introducing homes into an area allocated for industry, waste or storage causes a conflict
Fire safety	Required for schemes creating two or more dwellings in buildings meeting relevant height thresholds, a condition added from 1 August 2021

Wigan Council must also consider the loss of a registered nursery or an NHS health centre as part of the same application. Once a valid application is submitted, the council has 56 days to notify its decision. If it misses that deadline, the development is treated as approved and can proceed on the terms applied for.

Source: legislation.gov.uk, Schedule 2, Part 3, paragraph W (procedure for prior approval applications).

Class MA or Full Planning Permission?

Class MA is the fastest and cheapest route, but it is not the only one, and it does not fit every Wigan building. This comparison sets out when each route applies.

Route	Fee (2026)	Decision Time	Best For
Class MA prior approval (Part 3)	£260 per home	56 days	Class E buildings (shops, offices, restaurants) with 2+ years qualifying use
Classes M, N, Q prior approval (other buildings)	£249, or £536 with building works	Typically 56 days	Betting shops, amusement arcades, agricultural buildings and similar uses outside Class E
Full planning permission (change of use)	£610 per home (fewer than 10 homes)	Statutory target of 8 weeks for minor applications	Listed buildings, sites without the 2 year use history, or where an Article 4 direction removes the permitted development right

Full planning permission also gives you more design freedom, since it is not limited to a straight change of use, and it is the only route available if you want to alter the building’s external appearance, extend it, or if it sits somewhere Class MA cannot reach. Source: gov.uk, Planning fees, annual indexation from 1 April 2026.

Wigan Council, Article 4 and Leigh Town Centre

Wigan borough covers Wigan town itself along with Leigh, Hindley, Standish, Atherton and Tyldesley, and its high streets carry the kind of vacant shops, former bank branches and tired office units that Class MA was designed for. But the borough is also an active user of Article 4 powers, which is the single most important local fact to check before relying on permitted development.

Wigan Council confirmed a borough wide, non-immediate Article 4 direction that came into force on 31 August 2025. It removes permitted development rights for changing a single dwellinghouse into a small House in Multiple Occupation, meaning any such change now needs full planning permission everywhere in the borough, regardless of size. This direction covers HMO conversions rather than Class MA itself, but it shows a council willing to withdraw permitted development rights borough wide when it decides local circumstances justify it.

Separately, Wigan Council made an Article 4 direction on 3 March 2022, in force from 10 June 2022, protecting a defined group of properties on The Avenue, Henrietta Street and Church Street within the Leigh Town Centre Conservation Area. That direction removes standard householder permitted development rights, such as extensions, roof alterations and boundary changes, on those specific streets to protect the conservation area’s character.

Neither of these two confirmed directions currently targets Class MA (commercial to residential conversion) specifically. As of this update we have not found a Wigan Article 4 direction that withdraws Class MA rights, but the borough’s record on HMOs and on the Leigh conservation area shows it is prepared to act. Always confirm the current position for your specific address with Wigan Council’s planning policy team before relying on permitted development.

Source: Wigan Council, Article 4 direction (HMOs); Wigan Council, Notice of Article 4 direction, Leigh Town Centre Conservation Area.

What Does a Commercial to Residential Conversion Cost in Wigan?

Alongside the prior approval or planning fee, the fit out is what determines your final budget. Based on Renovat’s own conversion projects, sense checked against current Wigan and Manchester build rates, a shell to residential fit out typically costs between £900 and £1,600 per square metre in 2026, depending on the building’s existing condition and the specification you choose.

Cost Item	Typical Wigan Cost (2026)
Class MA prior approval fee	£260 per home
Full planning application (if Class MA does not apply)	£610 per home
Fit out, basic to mid specification	£900 to £1,200 per square metre
Fit out, higher specification	£1,200 to £1,600 per square metre
Typical studio or one bedroom unit fit out (excluding purchase price)	£35,000 to £75,000
Fire safety upgrades, where required	£5,000 to £20,000, depending on building size

Three costs catch people out. Building Control fees are separate from the planning or prior approval fee and are charged again on top. Where the building shares a structure with a neighbouring commercial unit, Party Wall etc. Act 1996 matters can add both time and cost if a surveyor is needed. And some developments are liable for the Community Infrastructure Levy, which varies by council and by scheme, so check your liability with Wigan Council’s planning team before you commit to a budget.

If your scheme will ultimately be let as an HMO rather than self-contained flats, also see our HMO conversion cost guide and the HMO conversions service page for licensing and Article 4 considerations specific to that route.

Building Regulations After the Change of Use

Class MA and full planning permission both deal with use, not construction standards, so a separate Building Regulations application is always needed once the change of use is approved. For a commercial to residential conversion, the areas that need the most attention are:

• Sound insulation (Part E): Critical where one commercial shell is being split into several flats, since walls and floors between separate dwellings must meet residential sound insulation standards that a commercial fit out never had to.
• Fire safety (Part B): Escape routes, fire doors and compartmentation between units and any shared stair, particularly important in a building with multiple flats sharing common parts.
• Ventilation (Part F): Background and purge ventilation for every habitable room, plus mechanical extract in kitchens and bathrooms.
• Energy efficiency (Part L): Insulation, glazing and heating standards appropriate to residential use, which are usually higher than the commercial specification the building was built to.
• Accessibility (Part M): Level access and appropriate layout, particularly relevant to ground floor units.

Building Regulations applications can be submitted to Wigan Council’s building control service or to a registered approved inspector, either as a Full Plans application or a Building Notice.

Step by Step Process and Timeline

1. Confirm eligibility (1 to 2 weeks): Check the two year use history, confirm the building is not listed, and check with Wigan Council for any Article 4 restriction on your address.
2. Submit prior approval (up to 56 days): Submit the Class MA application with the £260 per home fee and supporting reports for the 8 prior approval matters.
3. Building Regulations application: Submit in parallel or immediately after prior approval is granted, covering sound insulation, fire safety, ventilation and energy efficiency.
4. Fit out works: Structural alterations, services, insulation, sound and fire separation, then decoration and fittings.
5. Completion and sign off: Building Control completion certificate, then Council Tax banding and an EPC before the units are let or sold.

A small scheme of one to three homes typically runs 4 to 8 months from application to move in. Larger buildings needing significant fire safety upgrades or sprinkler systems take longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need planning permission to convert a shop or office into a home in Wigan?

Not always. If the building has been in a qualifying Use Class E use for at least two continuous years, is not listed, and is not covered by an Article 4 direction removing the right, you can use the Class MA permitted development right and apply for prior approval instead of full planning permission. Full planning permission is needed where any of those conditions are not met.

How much does a Class MA prior approval application cost in Wigan?

The prior approval fee for Class MA is £260 per proposed dwelling in 2026, set nationally by the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations. This compares with £610 per dwelling for a full planning application covering the same change of use.

Does Wigan Council have an Article 4 direction restricting commercial to residential conversions?

As of this update, Wigan Council’s confirmed Article 4 directions cover converting a single dwellinghouse into a small HMO borough wide, and standard householder alterations on specific streets within the Leigh Town Centre Conservation Area. We have not found a Wigan direction that specifically withdraws Class MA rights, but always confirm the current position for your address with the council’s planning policy team before relying on permitted development.

How long does a Class MA application take to be decided in Wigan?

Wigan Council has 56 days from a valid application to notify its decision. If the council does not respond within that period, the development is treated as approved and can proceed on the terms applied for.

Can I convert a commercial building into an HMO in Wigan under Class MA?

Class MA only covers change of use to a dwellinghouse (Use Class C3), not directly to a House in Multiple Occupation (Use Class C4). If your plan is to create a small HMO once the residential use is established, check Wigan Council’s borough wide Article 4 direction on HMO conversions, which has required planning permission for that further change since 31 August 2025.

What happens if my Wigan building does not qualify for Class MA?

You can still apply for a full change of use planning permission, which costs £610 per proposed dwelling for a small scheme and carries an 8 week statutory target for a decision. This route also gives you more freedom to alter the building’s appearance or extend it, which Class MA does not allow.

Cost ranges are indicative for 2026 and will vary depending on the building’s condition, size and specification. Obtain at least three detailed quotes before committing to any contractor. Planning fees, Article 4 directions and Building Regulations can change; always confirm the current position with Wigan Council before starting work.