Anchor to be replaced on Manchester LGBTQ+ scheme
Project partners said they were seeking an organisation “better-suited” to deliver the 100-home extra care scheme in Whalley Range.
Following the end of Anchor’s involvement in the £20m scheme, Manchester City Council and LGBT Foundation will now re-tender for a delivery and management partner for the LGBTQ+ home, to be built on the former Spire hospital site on Russell Road.
The city council is seeking a housing association with extra care experience. The housing association partner will own and be responsible for designing the scheme through a co-production approach with the city council and LGBT Foundation.
“The local management arrangements required to meet the specific needs of LGBTQ+ communities within Manchester mean there will be other organisations better-suited than Anchor to take it forward,” said Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing.
“We would like to thank Anchor for their work on developing this scheme so far and we look forward to seeing this important development come to fruition in the coming months.”
Earlier this year, Anchor launched a consultation on its proposals for the scheme, billed as the country’s first purpose-built LGBT+ majority housing development exclusively for older people.
Despite a change of approach to the delivery of the project, both the city council and the LGBT Foundation remain dedicated to bringing the development forward.
“We are as committed as ever to delivering the right extra care scheme for the LGBTQ+ residents of Manchester,” said Dr Paul Martin, chief executive of LGBT Foundation.
“We are hopeful of a speedy resolution and along with our Community Steering Group we look forward to forming a strategic partnership with the new provider, to put communities at the heart of the development of this ground-breaking scheme.”
Jane Ashcroft, chief executive of Anchor, said: “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to play a part in such a significant development for the LGBTQ+ residents of Manchester, which will also inform our approach on future work elsewhere. We very much look forward to seeing the development take shape.”
