Start on site for £21m Grey Mare Lane homes  

Contractor Caddick has begun work for housing provider Great Places at the 82-apartment East Manchester project, part of a wider 1,000-home masterplan.

That masterplan, consulted on in 2024, is a collaboration between Manchester City Council, the MCC-owned housing company This City and One Manchester.

The Great Places project will be a six-storey scheme, with 57 one-bedroom apartment and 25 two-bed apartments. It is a close neighbour of the Etihad stadium complex.

Bowker Sadler is the architect. Credit: Great Places Housing

An event to mark the start of works was attended by Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of MCC, and Cllr Gavin White, executive member for housing and development, alongside Alison Dean, chief executive of Great Places Housing Group, executive director of growth Helen Spencer, representatives from Homes England, and delivery partners Caddick Construction.

The Coalbrook Court development will deliver 82 apartments for social rent, across a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Some ground floor homes will have private patios, and communal landscaped areas feature, along with balconies for most upper-floor apartments. A new pedestrian link will also improve connectivity between Grey Mare Lane and Ashton New Road.

Coalbrook Court will be funded by Great Places, complemented by grant funding from Homes England and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Brownfield Housing Fund.

Alongside Caddick Construction, the wider project team includes architect Bowker Sadler, civil and structural engineer Sutcliffe, employer’s agent Arcus Consulting, and M&E engineer Davies Partnership.

The Grey Mare Lane neighbourhood’s masterplan was approved in September 2025, and will deliver 1,000 new homes and green spaces.

Coalbrook Court is the first of two proposed developments in the area to be delivered by Great Places, with details for a second affordable homes development on a site on Sunny Lowry Road expected to be submitted later this year.

Dean said: “This project reflects our commitment to working in partnership to deliver quality, sustainable housing that meets the needs of local communities.

“We’re proud to be working with Manchester City Council, Homes England, and GMCA to bring forward this first phase of development, which will set the tone for future investment in the area.”

Bowker Sad;er is thearchitect and Caddick the contractor. Credit: via Great Places

Manchester’s leader said the scheme as a whole will be “transformational”, adding: “Major investment over the last two decades has put east Manchester on a global stage and now is the time that Grey Mare Lane is given the focus it deserves to meet its massive potential.

“We have big plans for this neighbourhood, and this is just the first of a strong pipeline of projects that will come online across the estate that will see more than 1,000 new homes built in the coming months and years – with a keen focus on social housing and genuinely affordable housing.”

Dave Saville, regional MD at Caddick Construction North West said: “Coalbrook Court represents more than just new homes; it’s about creating a vibrant, sustainable community that will benefit local residents for years to come.”