VIDEO | The future of build-to-rent in Greater Manchester

As the BTR market continues to thrive in the city centre, what does the residential model look like as it expands across the wider city region? That was the topic of a roundtable discussion hosted by DAC Beachcroft.

Participants:

• Sarah Ashurst, Salford Council
• Max Bentham, Muse
• Roz Catlow-Patterson, Bury Council
• Liz Donnelly, DAC Beachcroft
• Rory Keys, Sigma Capital
• Gemma Leonard, DAC Beachcroft
• John Moffat, Capital & Centric
• Aidan Thatcher, Wigan Council
• Joanne Waller, Sourced Development Group

Key talking points

Developers, local authorities, and housing providers gathered to discuss the future of the build-to-rent market outside of Manchester city centre.

Moving BTR projects to the towns in Greater Manchester will play a role in creating a vibrant city region, according to the participants.

They did agree, however, that the current BTR model of skyscrapers that has proven popular in the city centre is not the right fit for the suburban communities of GM. Instead, the BTR of the towns should be focused on smaller buildings.

A few panellists warned that though the new builds may look different in GM, they needed to keep the same aspirational aesthetic. This means offering a robust selection of amenities – and strong sustainability credentials – to keep suburban living attractive and to encourage more young people to move outside the city centre.

Providing more choices for GM residents is the primary goal for BTR in the region, with several of the local authorities present voicing their hope that it will help retain young people in their towns.

You can hear highlights from the roundtable in the video at the top of this article, as well as on the Place North West YouTube channel.

The discussion was hosted by Place North West editor Julia Hatmaker. The roundtable was held at DAC Beachcroft’s office in Spinningfields.