Manchester approves 69 low-carbon social homes

The council’s project will transform brownfield off Silk Street in Newton Heath into a mix of energy-efficient apartments and houses.

Modern City Architecture & Urbanism designed the scheme which sits along Rochdale Canal. The development team also includes property consultants Ridge, engineering practice Energy Council, landscape architects TBA and Rowlinson Construction.

Sustainability credentials for the project include ground source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems, cycle storage space, low water volume fittings and EV charging points. Each building would also have solar panels and are specifically arranged on the site to maximise solar gain. The apartment blocks will have green roofs.

The homes themselves will include 36 one-bedroom apartments and 12 two-bedroom apartments. Of those 48 apartments, 16 will be reserved for those over the age of 55. The 21 planned houses break down into 17 two-storey, three-bedroom houses and four three-storey, four-bedroom ones.

The apartments will be spread out among three identical apartment blocks. Between each block will be an internal courtyard to allow for parking. All apartments will have a covered terrace and/or a balcony. They will also be built to HAPPI design standards, so they will easily be able to accommodate those residents who need to use a wheelchair.

Aerial view of the project. Credit: via planning documents

The development will be managed by Northwards Housing and is partly funded through the government’s Brownfield Land Fund. Rowlinson Construction is expected to begin work on the site in early 2022.

“These homes meet the needs of residents across the board – low emissions, a range of sizes, later living options, and more,” said Rowlinson managing director David Chilton. “It is an impressive development, setting a very high standard for new social housing. We are eager to make a start and will be using local labour where possible. Rowlinson is proud to be working with the Council in delivering these much-needed new homes for the local community.”

Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and employment, Cllr Gavin White, said that the development “marks an important milestone” in the delivery of new homes.

“This project ticks so many boxes – bringing a long-term brownfield site back into use, new affordable social housing, homes for older people, and a range of sizes to meet different levels of demand,” Cllr White said.

“All this while delivering properties to meet low carbon standards and sustainable technologies, which will reduce costs for residents and help us meet our target of being a zero-carbon city by 2028.”