Property

Andy Burnham launches £300k scheme to stop ‘unlawful’ illegal evictions in Manchester

"The days of bad landlords renting out unsafe and unfit homes are coming to an end."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th May 2024

Andy Burnham has launched a £300,000 pilot scheme aimed at tackling “unlawful” illegal evictions in Manchester.

It’s just one part of Greater Manchester‘s first step towards protecting tenants in all types of rented accommodation, and empowering those who feel “trapped in substandard housing“.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it plans to “rewire the rental system” in our region, so that it “works for people, not against them”, and to support this, the Mayor announced last week that a £600,000 package of measures has now been set out to help tenants clamp down on rogue landlords.

After Mr Burnham declared back in January that 2024 would be the year Greater Manchester “gets serious about housing”, the ‘Good Landlord Charter’ is set to be rolled out later this year.

The Good Landlord Charter is the first of its kind in the UK, will cover social and private rented sector housing, and will work with landlords who are willing to improve the standard of the properties they rent out.

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It’s aiming to set out “clear, practical, and accessible” standards to drive up the quality of renting in Greater Manchester. 

According to GMCA, recent data has shown that,’ throughout Greater Manchester, around 23% (56,000) of private rented homes, and just under 17% (82,000) of all rented homes, do not meet the legal Decent Homes Standard’.

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But since many tenants feel unable to raise complaints for fear of eviction, it’s thought the true number of substandard rentals may be as high as 40%.

This is why the Mayor has announced two more new pilot projects that will come into effect over the next 12 months.

To support the Good Landlord Charter, £300,000 will be invested in the Renters (Reform) Bill and introduce a new duty on local authorities that’ll help them tackle unlawful evictions and harassment of tenants by setting up a new team of housing law experts who’ll “provide advocacy and support” to renters, and “strengthen enforcement capacity”.  

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Andy Burnham launches £300k scheme to stop ‘unlawful’ illegal evictions in Manchester / Credit: Rockpanel | GMCA

When the Renters (Reform) Bill is made law, it’ll become illegal for landlords to rent out homes that don’t meet the ‘Decent Homes Standard’, and because of this, £150,000 is also being made available to support a new pilot with Oldham Council that’ll explore how GMCA, the central Government, and local Councils can work together to claim back housing benefit from landlords who are letting out substandard homes.

“Everyone across our city-region deserves a good, safe, and secure home,” declared Mayor Andy Burnham as he launched the pilot schemes last week.

“It should be the starting point for a good life. It should not damage your health or be a source of concern and anxiety, but sadly, too many people in Greater Manchester still find themselves in those situations, and are trapped in poorly maintained properties and in fear of unlawful eviction.

“But the days of bad landlords renting out unsafe and unfit homes are coming to an end.

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“This new right to a property check for all residents, backed up with new measures to protect renters and take action against rogue landlords, will empower people across Greater Manchester and put us on course to become the UK’s only Housing First city-region.”

Featured Image – Super Straho (via Unsplash)

Property

Transformational plans set to be approved for ‘major’ new Manchester city centre park

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

‘Transformational’ plans to regenerate an underused Manchester city centre site are set to be approved next week.

Following ‘overwhelming’ public support for proposals set out in a public consultation earlier this year – where more than 90% of respondents supported the key principles – Manchester City Council says its executive is expected approve an ambitious vision for the Water Street neighbourhood at a meeting next week (Weds 8 July).

The Water Street Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) is set to create a city centre district developed around a new urban park. 

The SRF is described as being a ‘high-level blueprint’ for future investment that will guide development through the planning process.

The plans are comprised of a new landscape-led neighbourhood that combines homes – including 20% of them being ‘affordable’ – improved public spaces, enhanced walking and cycling connections, and ‘significant’ new green infrastructure centred around the River Medlock. 

Sustainability was highlighted as an area of importance to local residents in the consultation, and to meet these demands, the plans include increased biodiversity, sustainable drainage features, and a largely car-free neighbourhood to support Manchester’s zero-carbon ambitions, as well as the new urban park being at the heart of it all.

The new neighbourhood will also offer plenty of new jobs, skills, and investment opportunities. 

“The wider Water Street area has seen major regeneration in recent years with world-class investment at St John’s and Aviva Studios on its doorstep, alongside impressive residential developments,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration.

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“This renewed regeneration framework will help guide investment to bring this area up to the same ambitious level with new housing, including affordable housing to create an inclusive new neighbourhood, complemented by a brand-new city centre urban park.”

Featured Image – Manchester City Council (Supplied)

Property

UK’s most popular commuter towns named and four are in Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Houses

The UK’s most popular commuter towns have been named, and four of them are here in Greater Manchester.

Where are the most popular commuter towns in the UK right now?

Well, new data collated based on the number of people enquiring about available properties on Rightmove has revealed the locations where buyer demand is highest, and with Manchester being one of the largest cities in the country, of course there’s some Greater Manchester towns on the list.

Rightmove says that choosing the best commuter town requires buyers to balance a number of factors – including property prices, travel times, and local lifestyle.

To narrow it down, the property platform has chosen to focus on commuter towns within a 45-minute rail journey to the target city, and with at least 20,000 people living there.

For Manchester, it’s Stockport that’s taken the title as the city’s most popular commuter town, as amazinly, it generated 70% more enquiries per listing than Manchester itself.

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The UK’s most popular commuter towns have been named / Credit: James Feaver (via Unsplash) | Manchester City Council

Being just an eight-minute journey from Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport has an average property price of £308,299.

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, the picturesque Stockport town of Marple takes second spot on the list, while the Tameside town of Stalybridge comes in third place, and Rochdale also features in the top five, alongside Warrington – which is just outside of our region’s borders, but is only a short 22-minute train journey into the city centre.

Transport options is obviously one of the most important factors in what makes a town a so-called ‘commuter town’.

Stockport benefits from around six fast trains per hour, while Stalybridge and Rochdale offer four per hour. Marple is less frequent at two per hour but still attracts strong interest, likely due to its lifestyle appeal and stunning setting on the edge of the Peak District.

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Price growth has been strong across most of the Manchester commuter towns, with Stalybridge (+6.1%) and Rochdale (+5.8%) seeing notable increases year-on-year.

However, average prices for four out of the five commuter locations on the list were higher than the average Manchester property price (£261,891), suggesting that lifestyle factors were a stronger draw for Manchester’s surrounding towns.

Featured Image – Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)

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