One Manchester readies plans for Grey Mare Lane homes

A planning application for 133 apartments and townhouses, part of the wider regeneration of the Manchester estate, are being worked up.

Housing association One Manchester is working with architect Buttress and planning consultant Stantec on its Grey Mare Lane vision.

One Manchester has demolished 128 ageing homes at the estate and plans to reprovide them in the form of new one- and two-bed apartments, with the addition of five townhouses.

A consultation website set up to provide information on the project states that “The apartments and townhouses will feature a modern design and will adopt a fabric-first approach to reduce both energy consumption and carbon footprint”.

Conor McGuigan, head of development at One Manchester, said: “After completing our customer consultation on our plans for 133 new homes at Grey Mare Lane, we’re pleased to say that the large majority of residents were supportive of our proposals. Our goal is to replace the 1970s flats and maisonettes with modern, energy-efficient homes that are warm, secure, and sustainable.

“We’re fully committed to going beyond just building homes by creating better pedestrian routes, green spaces, and improved parking to enhance the overall living experience. We’ve been working closely with the Grey Mare Lane Steering Group, which includes local councillors, MPs, Manchester City Council representatives, residents, and community organisations, to shape these plans.

“We’re really grateful to the residents who have proactively worked with us to allow their properties to be demolished and re-provisioned. We’re committed to re-housing these residents once the new units are built.”

Construction is expected to start in spring 2026 and complete by summer 2029.

The plans follow an application for 82 homes for social rent from Great Places lodged earlier this year.

The regeneration of Grey Mare Lane has been a long-standing priority for Manchester City Council, which last year approved a strategic regeneration framework outlining plans for 1,000 new homes at the 50-year-old estate.

As well as One Manchester and Great Places, This City, the city council’s housing delivery vehicle is readying plans for another tranche of homes at Grey Mare Lane.

Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “Grey Mare Lane is one of our key regeneration opportunities, building on the success of more than two decades of investment in East Manchester.

“We want to be really ambitious for this community and through the partnership – including One Manchester, Great Places and This City – we will see hundreds of new homes across the neighbourhood in the coming years, with a key focus on social rent and genuinely affordable housing. Alongside this there will be new public space for the community, including new commercial space and improved walking and cycling options.

“It’s great to see One Manchester continue the conversation with local residents about their first scheme that will see more than 130 new homes on the estate and we hope to see a planning application submitted in the coming weeks.”

“These early planning applications are a real statement of intent for this community against our commitment to invest in and improve their neighbourhood.”