Work starts on Collyhurst regen

Ground has been broken on the first phase of the Manchester project, which is part of the £4bn Victoria North masterplan.

The Collyhurst regeneration development is being delivered by Far East Consortium and Manchester City Council. The council is to invest more than £37.9m in the scheme.

FEC’s in-house contractor DEX Construction is aiming to complete the first phase of the project in 2024.

This first phase includes the Collyhurst Village and South Collyhurst neighbourhoods. Collyhurst Village lies between Rochdale Road and Thornton Street North, while South Collyhurst is between Kingsfold Avenue, Whitely Road, and Winscombe Drive.

Buttress Architects designed both neighbourhood projects. Exterior Architecture was the landscape architect and Avison Young the planning consultant.

When this first phase is complete, there will be 274 new homes in the Collyhurst area, as well as a 3.2-acre park and 2,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space.

The homes will be a mixture of townhouses and apartments. Of the 274 homes, 130 will be available for social rent.

Victoria Hunter, senior development manager at FEC, described work starting on the scheme as a “genuinely historic moment” for the area.

“As the largest existing community within Victoria North, we’ve always recognised the active role residents play in shaping the development of their neighbourhood and Collyhurst as a cornerstone for the future of the project,” Hunter said.

“Having worked with local residents to design high quality, low carbon homes for both social rent and private sale, we’re looking forward to further enhancing a vibrant and diverse neighbourhood for current and future generations to enjoy.”

Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, echoed Hunter’s words, calling work starting as a “landmark moment”.

“The work that we promised would transform this neighbourhood is now beginning on site and it is a testament to the local people who took part in the various consultation exercises and had belief in our ambition for the area that we have reached this milestone,” White said.

Collyhurst Village and South Collyhurst are two of seven neighbourhoods that make up the wider Victoria North masterplan. Work has already begun on two others: Red Bank and New Cross. The remaining three are New Town, Eggington Street and Smedley Dip, and Vauxhall Gardens.

Victoria North will see the building of 15,000 homes on brownfield land over the next decade. The project has a gross development value of £4bn. FEC has already invested £120m into the regeneration effort.

Manchester City Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig described the project as “ambitious” and “transformational”.

Craig continued: “This is a once-in-a-generation programme of investment for Collyhurst and represents exactly the type of vision we should be striving for – meeting demand for new housing, many of which will be social and affordable homes, to create sustainable, attractive neighbourhoods.”