Every resident in our city should have access to a good quality home…so we’re building our own
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council
The first development will be on Rodney Street in Ancoats, bringing 128 apartments and townhouses to the city neighbourhood – 30% of which will be available at Manchester Living Rent – and built by main contractor Wates Construction.
As a new kind of housing company, This City will plan, finance and build homes in the communities they are designed for. With an ambition to build up to 500 new homes each year, and a commitment to a minimum of 20% of these being at Manchester Living Rent, this forms part of a new pipeline of accessible rental housing being created for Manchester people by the Council.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester has some ambitious and radical plans to see more homes built in our city that everyone can afford. Every resident in our city should have access to a good quality home and Manchester is leading the way in building our own homes as part of this.
“Seeing more homes at accessible rent is a real challenge in the city centre, so we’re building our own.
Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and employment, added : “Our bottom line is that everyone in this city deserves a safe, secure and decent home, and as Manchester continues to grow, we also need to increase the number of affordable rent and low carbon homes for Manchester people on lower incomes.
“This City will help us meet this demand, giving us a development vehicle for the first time to deliver the homes the city needs on our own terms.”
The first phase homes will be high quality, energy efficient and feature a host of amenities for residents all around the city park setting of Ancoats Green. They will also be built with sustainability in mind, with a focus on low carbon design contributing to Manchester’s 2038 Zero Carbon ambitions.
The site forms part of a wider co-ordinated plan by the City Council, Manchester Life Development Company and Great Places to deliver over 400 new homes across underused sites in Ancoats and New Islington, to help meet a range of housing needs for Manchester.
This phase builds on the successful regeneration story of Ancoats and is the next step in the evolution of a sustainable neighbourhood that is even more attractive to people and families keen to settle and stay in the area.
Dave Saville, Regional Director for Wates Construction North West, said:
“We are excited to transform this currently unused plot of land into sustainable, accessible homes that put local people first. We will be working closely with Manchester City Council, the local supply chain and residents to develop designs that meet the needs of Mancunians and deliver a legacy that lasts.
A consultation is open now about the Rodney Street scheme, with planning applications expected to be submitted in Summer 2022.
[consultation is now closed]
Contents of this article were correct at time of press.