Plans go in for 422 affordable Wythenshawe homes
Muse and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group have lodged three separate applications to develop a trio of town centre plots to provide social rent properties.
The submission of the plans follows a public consultation held in October over the first residential phase of the wider £500m masterplan to bring 2,000 homes to Wythenshawe over the next 15 years.
Once the 422 homes are built, they are to be handed over to partner Wythenshawe Community Housing Group to manage.
Brotherton House. Credit: via FontComms
Brotherton House, a former office site, would be transformed to host 81 apartments and 25 two- and four-bedroom townhouses.
A further 109 homes for people in later life and living with dementia bring the total residential offer up to 215 properties.
Alpha House. Credit: FontComms
The second application concerns Alpha House off Rowlandsway, which would be rebuilt following its recent demolition and would provide 125 flats, with 16 being wheelchair accessible.
Finally, a third application is to redevelop C2 The Birtles next to Wythenshawe’s former market square.
Existing retail and office space would be replaced by 81 one- and two-bedroom apartments with ground floor retail space, then reinstated.
All of the 422 properties are to be for social rent, and the surrounding public realm will also benefit. Indoor and outdoor communal spaces and gardens are planned across the sites.
C2 The Birtles. Credit: via FontComms
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Delivering truly affordable homes – with a focus on social rent housing – was one of our key priorities when we set out the vision for the long-term transformation of Civic.
“The town centre is the beating heart of this community, and that means building homes that are affordable to as many people as possible, creating a long-term sustainable community of people who are proud of where they live.
“These planning applications represent an exciting milestone for Wythenshawe – and it’s great to be working alongside Wythenshawe Community Housing Group to realise these important developments.”
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Andrea Lowman, executive director of development at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, said: “This phase will bring forward homes that support residents at every stage of life, creating a strong foundation for a vibrant, sustainable town centre that meets the needs of our communities now and in the future.”
This first 422-home phase is part of the wider investment underway in Civic, supported by £20m of government funding and a further £11.9m from Manchester City Council.
Civic, when it opens in 2027, is set to include a 30,000 sq ft culture hub with performance space, flexible workspaces, and a food hall.
Joe Stockton, development director at Muse, added: “This is another huge step forward for Wythenshawe. “These homes are central to creating a thriving, inclusive town centre.
“We’ve worked closely with the community to understand what people want, and we’re proud to be moving forward with plans that reflect that feedback.”
Hooray for density!
By Anonymous
Great to see some accessible homes being planned
By Anonymous
Look good seem more sensible but need more employees those areas which is important for local economy.
By G J Kitchener
Spatial inequality being baked in like the good old days……..
By UnaPlanner
Build cheap and pile the people high. To hell with greens and parks. That’s the Manchester system. As ever.
By Destroy the Garden City
In the News earlier today, it’s been suggested that more bungalows should be built for older people, creating a community area, with accessibility. Wythenshawe was well known for having a mix of social housing including bungalows. There is space to develop more of these.
By Claudia Jones
‘Destroy the garden city’ – you do know these are being built on land that is currently derelict, right? And instead of apartments, what would you rather? More houses which sprawl further out, eating up yet more countryside? Wythenshawe was rolling fields just one hundred years ago, then it was gobbled up into Manchester’s suburban sprawl. To prevent more green fields and trees being converted into cul-de-sacs we need to build high and efficiently utilise the space we’ve stolen from the countryside. This plan does that very effectively IMO.
By Anonymous
This all sounds great as long as they are purchased by people who are going to live in them and not just bought up and then rented out at a high rental, putting money into these private landlords accounts. Thank you for listening, so much of the estate is now in the hands of private landlords, taking away the opportunity for people to purchase affordable housing.
By Lynn Thompson
Good lord but I can’t wait for the ‘East German Prison’ style of architecture to rotate out of fashion. At some point the MBAs have to move on to something else, right ?
By John Smith