Oldham is converting homes to HMOs and new dwellings at twice the national rate. Extensions still dominate at 38.6% of all applications.
Oldham Council received 1,174 planning applications in 2025 and approved 90.3% of those with a decision, above the national rate of 87.6%. The town's most striking outlier is its conversion activity: change-of-use applications to residential and HMO conversions each ran at twice the national share. Home extensions dominated the total at 38.6% of applications, and dormers ran at 1.6 times the national rate. Only 1 in 10 applications was refused.
The year in one line
Oldham Council approved applications at above the national rate in 2025, while change-of-use to residential and HMO conversions each ran at twice the national share, and home extensions remained the dominant project type at 38.6% of all applications.
What Oldham Is Building
Extensions lead, but conversions are the standout story.
Home extensions were by far the most common application type, at 38.6% of all submissions, against a national average of 29.1%. Dormers followed at 9.7%, running at 1.6 times the national share. The notable outlier in the mix is the conversion activity: change of use to residential ran at 4.4% of applications (twice the national 2.2%), and HMO conversions at 2.4% (twice the national 1.2%). This is the application profile of a town that extends its existing stock and actively repurposes buildings into homes and shared accommodation.
Applications submitted to Oldham Council in 2025, by project type (counts from the pooled 2024-2025 dataset used for share calculations).
The conversion effect
Change-of-use to residential and HMO conversions each ran at twice the national rate within the Oldham Council area. Vacant banks, storage space and dwellings are being repurposed into homes and shared accommodation.
The council verdict
A clear yes, more often than the national average.
Of applications with a decision, 90.3% were approved and 9.7% refused, about 1 in 10. Both figures are better than the national benchmarks of 87.6% approved and 12.4% refused. Oldham also ran below the national retrospective rate: only 2.3% of applications were for work already done, against a national rate of 3.7%.
About 1 in 10 Oldham applications was turned down.
of Oldham applications were retrospective (built first, applied later), well below the national rate of 3.7%. The council approved 90.3% of decisions, above the national 87.6%.
Oldham vs The National Norm
Conversions and dormers both run well above the national share.
Set Oldham's application mix against the national average and the conversion story is the sharpest outlier: change of use to residential runs at twice the national share, and HMO conversions also at twice the national rate. Dormers are 1.6 times the national share. Extensions are the dominant category at 38.6% against a national 29.1%. Demolition and outbuildings each run well below the national rate, reflecting a town focused on adapting and repurposing what it has.
Oldham files change-of-use applications to residential at twice the national rate, with 109 applications across the 2024-2025 period. HMO conversions run at the same multiple, with 60 applications.
Each bar is Oldham's share of applications; the marker is the national share. Change of use to residential is the town's sharpest outlier.
Meanwhile, the market
Prices moved alongside the building work.
The extending and adapting plays out against a market that remains affordable by national standards, with the average Oldham home selling for well under a quarter of a million pounds.
Oldham's planning record for 2025 shows a town extending what it has and, more distinctively, converting it. Change-of-use to residential and HMO applications each ran at twice the national rate, from vacant banks to care homes to shared houses. Extensions still dominate the workload at 38.6% of applications, but the conversion activity is the sharpest departure from the national picture. The council approved 9 in 10 applications with a decision, above the national average.
Where the numbers come from
Planning Data
Applications submitted to Oldham Council in 2025, classified from each application's published description. Shares and rates are computed over the pooled 2024-2025 window for statistical stability; volume figures are per year.
Decision Rates
Approval rate is approvals as a share of approvals plus refusals. The national benchmarks are computed the same way across all decided applications in England and Wales.
Sales Data
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data for the Oldham post town, the latest full year's completions.
The Real Applications
Open the planning applications behind the numbers.
These are real applications submitted to Oldham Council, illustrating the conversion and extension activity that defines the town's planning mix. Open any one to see its full record.
7 Bracken Close, Springhead OL4 4PB
Front and rear dormer extensions and a single storey rear extension were granted, the extend-and-adapt work that is Oldham's most common application type.
See this property's full record17 Broadway, Royton OL2 5DD
A two storey side and rear extension was approved, the most common project type in the Oldham Council area.
See this property's full record3 Barmouth Court OL8 4SU
Front and rear dormers were granted, the roof work Oldham files at 1.6 times the national rate.
See this property's full record147 Huddersfield Road, Diggle OL3 5NU
A garage conversion paired with a first floor side extension was approved, turning existing space into more living room.
See this property's full record55 Arden Street, Chadderton OL9 8JD
A rear outbuilding ancillary to the main house was granted, one of the smaller categories in the mix.
See this property's full record2 Westfield Drive, Grasscroft OL4 4HT
A stone garden wall and a new driveway with drainage were filed retrospectively, after the work was already done.
See this property's full recordCurious about a home in Oldham?
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