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Proposals for over 1,000 new homes in north Manchester set for council approval

The two schemes form the latest phase of the £1bn 'Northern Gateway' homebuilding project.

Emily Sergeant - 21st September 2020

Proposals for more than 1,000 new homes in and around the north Manchester area have been recommended to the council for approval.

The first of two schemes forms the latest phase of the £1bn Northern Gateway homebuilding project and will be considered by the city’s planning committee.

Victoria Riverside will be the name given to one of seven new communities proposed by Manchester City Council and the Far East Consortium (FEC) that could take shape within the next 20 years. The development would see three towers built – the tallest having 37 floors, the others being 26 and 18 storeys high – along with townhouses on land in Red Bank near Collyhurst.

The towers will be supported by a brick prodium – which will provide shop fronts and a glazed residential lobby facing the planned Gateway Square – and will mark the entrance into the Northern Gateway.

A total of 634 homes are planned on the two-acre site bordering Bromley Street, Dantzic Street, Gould Street and Bromley. Of these, 611 would be apartments, with 13 townhouses and 10 maisonettes, all of which will offer a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom living spaces.

FEC has committed to delivering 20pc affordable housing across the Northern Gateway.

Only 5pc (32 homes) at Victoria Riverside will be classed as affordable though, and will be shared ownership properties.

According to a council report, the scheme received a single letter of support from a resident urging the council to approve the scheme “without delay”. It says: “The tower blocks would impact views into the city, but it is a price worth paying if the 400 metres into the city centre along Dantzic Street is tidied up.

“Dantzic Street is currently in a poorer condition than a war zone or the dark side of the moon.”

In Miles Platting, there are also plans to build a new ‘mixed neighbourhood’ on the former site of the Manox chemicals factory.

NPL Group is hoping to secure permission to develop 410 homes on land off Coleshill Street – which it owns alongside Manchester City Council – and there are also plans to provide a nursery, shops, and a community hub with a cafe alongside the Rochdale Canal.

Most of those 296 properties will be built specifically for renting rather than for sale, with 44 homes offered as rent-to-buy, and a further 34 available for social rent.

There will also be 36 homes that can be bought through shared ownership.

Documents submitted with the planning application for the above read: “The proposed layout creates a safe environment through the provision of a legible and well-overlooked street network with residential front doors facing onto the street.

“This encourages walking and cycling, and therefore, social interaction between neighbours.

“The design of the new homes and streets is drawn from the existing local context to create a cohesive neighbourhood that fits well into the existing community.”

When it comes to current residents’ comments, some residents have already objected to the loss of open land south of Coleshill Street – which is commonly used by the public – but it’s expected that more than 500 new trees would be planted in and around the site.

There are also claims that there is a covenant on the land too.

According to one resident, the number of homes being proposed is “far too large”, while another raised concerns about contaminated land being redeveloped.

Despite the objections received, Manchester City Council planning officers have recommended that the planning committee approve the application when they meet this week on Thursday 24th September.

You can find more information via the Northern Gateway website here.