Greater Manchester secures £70m Government housing boost

The Government has announced a £70m package of funding for  Greater Manchester to support housebuilding, including a £50m brownfield land fund, £10m for the regeneration of Collyhurst, and £8m to support increasing staff capacity.

The funding aims to support a focus on developing brownfield land for housing and getting more homes built on small sites.

The package includes:

  • £50m for a land fund to help councils in the region to prepare brownfield land for housing development
  • up to £8m for capacity funding to support the Greater Manchester Place team
  • £10.25m to help regenerate the Collyhurst estate in North Manchester
  • flexibilities on the existing £300m Housing Investment Fund to allow more homes to be delivered through loans to developers

Metro Mayor Andy Burnham said: “I welcome this housing deal from government and the £50m Greater Manchester’s leaders have secured that will allow us to build on more of Greater Manchester’s brownfield sites.

“It brings us closer to our ambitions and is a clear statement of intent as we move towards publishing the rewritten Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

“As we look to build the homes Greater Manchester needs, we must do everything we can to make sure as much brownfield land as possible is made available for development. This is the best way to ensure we minimise the impact on our green spaces.

“But this isn’t just about numbers of homes and land for development. I’ve been clear that I want to see more truly affordable homes built and more homes available for social rent across Greater Manchester.

“I also want the rewritten Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to specify a date by which all new homes built across Greater Manchester should be net zero carbon. This is all part of my ambition.”

Collyhurst is part of the Northern Gateway regeneration area which could deliver 15,000 new homes. Earlier this month, Manchester City Council said that Collyhurst, where a £250m PFI housing programme for 1,300 new homes was cancelled in 2010 following Homes & Communities Agency cuts, will become a key focus of the North Manchester Housing Affordability Zone, where the drive will be for a mix of tenures, including new council-owned social housing and “a range of accessible housing products for sale and affordable rents”.

The latest announcement comes as the Government confirmed Housing Infrastructure Fund bids, from 44 areas across country, have been shortlisted to the next stage of the competitive process.

Details are yet to emerge, but a potential £4.1bn funding will be available for vital infrastructure like roads, bridges, schools and medical centres.

In the North West, bids from Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire East and Greater Manchester are being considered.

Your Comments

Read our comments policy

Related Articles

Sign up to receive the Place Daily Briefing

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

"*" indicates required fields

Your Job Field*
Other regional Publications - select below