Manchester completes 69 low-carbon council homes

Main contractor Rowlinson has delivered 48 apartments and 21 houses – all available for social rent – on a brownfield site by Rochdale Canal in Newton Heath.

Manchester City Council owns the land, which is situated off Silk Street, and had led the project. The 69 low-carbon homes are part of the city council’s wider ambition to build 36,000 homes by 2032. Approximately a third of those homes need to be, as the city council puts it, “genuinely affordable to Manchester people”.

Manchester City Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “At this development, using council-owned land, we have made sure that every house is available at social rent to help meet demand for high-quality affordable homes in this area – and ensure that as many people as possible can access these properties.”

Of the 48 apartments constructed, 36 have only one bedroom while 12 have two. The city council has reserved 16 apartments for those who are over the age of 55.

The apartments have been designed to HAPPI principles, so that those in wheelchairs can easily navigate the space. They also each have a balcony and have access to a shared outdoor space. The apartment blocks themselves have living walls and roofs.

The 21 houses break down to 17 three-bed homes and four four-bed ones. The houses have private driveways and gardens, as well as solar panels and EV charging points.

All homes have ground-source heat pumps and utilise mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, keeping energy costs low.

“This a fabulous development, built to an enhanced specification delivering tangible sustainability benefits, pushing the boundary of responsible and resilient social housing,” said David Chilton, managing director of Rowlinson.

“From construction through to now seeing the residents in their new homes, it’s a success for all the partners involved.”

The homes were finished first and the apartment blocks afterwards. Credit: MCAU

Cllr Gavin White, the city council’s executive member for housing and employment, has watched the project come out of the ground over the past few years.

“This development is a great example of what we want from our affordable housing investment,” White said.

“Not only are we delivering new social housing for our residents and supporting them to move from larger homes into properties that better suit their needs – we have also brought a long-term brownfield piece of public land back into use…,” he continued.

“But most importantly, we aren’t just building property – we’re building a sustainable, happy community of people who have pride in their homes and love for their neighbourhood. This should be at the heart of successful regeneration.”

The Newton Heath project was designed by Modern City Architecture & Urbanism, alongside Ridge, Energy Council, and TBA. Mansell Building Solutions provided the light gauge steel framing.

The scheme is not Rowlinson’s first HAPPI housing development – the contractor also delivered similar apartments at The Depot in Moss Side.