Manchester

Planning application for railway arch village to house rough sleepers largely backed

The plans to create 40 homes alongside the river has received broad support - with most respondents in favour of the scheme.

The Manc The Manc - 23rd July 2021

A planning application for a railway arch village to house rough sleepers has been largely backed by respondents.

Charity Embassy have proposed to create a community for the homeless between the Bridgewater Canal and River Irwell – providing up to 40 homes made from repurposed shipping containers.

Titled Embassy Village, the project has been called the “first of its kind” in the UK.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a planning application for the village was mostly backed – with 43 responses in favour of the scheme and 18 objections.

One respondent said the development was “a great use of land under the arches”, whilst an objector claimed the project would be better suited “to an area with an edgier aesthetic, such as the Northern Quarter”.

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Embassy is working with developers Peel L&P and Capital & Centric to deliver the project.

The charity said a team would manage the site 24/7, with all potential residents interviewed and triaged.

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The charity says that only those who are “ready and, crucially, keen to work” are offered accommodation.

Embassy states: “We aim to build on our strong track record of helping people to find that they have a life full of purpose, get into work, get into private accommodation and then remain part of community so that they are stable going forward.”