Council building 500 homes a year, with a third at ‘Manchester Living Rent’ levels

Manchester City Council’s housing company This City is planning to build 500 homes a year and has six sites currently being considered for development.  

It’s current project pipeline includes No. 1 Ancoats Green, its first scheme to build 129 homes which will complete later this year and constructors Wates have topped out this week after reaching the building’s highest point. 

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of the Council, said the first scheme “encapsulates a lot of what we’re looking to achieve” in building new homes in the city centre.  

She said the new homes will be “affordable, low carbon, close to great transport routes, built seamlessly into a rejuvenated Ancoats Green park – and with a range of housing types and sizes to accommodate different demand – including family homes.”  

She added: “Hitting the highest point is a welcome milestone and marks the hump of this project and we look forward to these homes welcoming the first residents next year.” 

Topping out: l-r Cllr White, Cllr Craig, Cllr Sam Lynch

The council say 30% of these new homes will be capped at “the Manchester Living Rent”, a level of rent that can be covered by housing benefit, which makes sure they claim that their new build homes are “accessible to as many Manchester people as possible”.  

Designed by architect Buttress, No 1 Ancoats Green will overlook a new park, and will include new walking and cycling routes through the neighbourhood, along with significant new planting – wildflower and wetland planting, and a range of new trees, alongside new accessible play equipment and open grassed areas.  

The hub will feature secure parking for 150 bikes, alongside changing facilities, 102 electronic vehicle charging points, up to 30 spaces for car club and car share schemes as part of a total of 406 car park spaces which reduces the need for parking within new residential developments nearby (apart from disabled parking).  

The building itself will feature 400 rooftop solar panels and over 400sqm of living green walls. A last-mile delivery hub and parcel lockers will centralise how local people can receive post and packages, vastly reducing delivery traffic in the area. A new commercial or hospitality space is also being explored.