New vision drawn up for Collyhurst
THE Collyhurst and Lower Irk Valley areas of north Manchester have been earmarked as the location for up to 2,400 new homes.
A document drawn up for Manchester City Council’s executive meeting this week proposes a new strategy for the area following the withdrawal of £250m of PFI funding from the government for a previous regeneration scheme for the area.
The new report, written by property consultancy GVA, states there is a “strategic opportunity” to build good quality, sustainable housing on the site in order to provide homes for people the city will need for the extra 100,000 jobs expected to be created across the city-region within the next 20 years.
The proposed area includes a swathe of land to the north of Victoria station within the Lower Irk Valley which it says is currently “underdeveloped”, with lots of areas of vacant land interspersed with some industrial units.
It points to the area’s proximity to Manchester city centre generally and more specifically to the Co-operative Group’s £800m NOMA development, the proposed upgrade of Victoria station and of the former Strangeways brewery site.
It also points to other investments within the proposed area, including the new £30m Communications academy at its northern fringe, two new Metrolink stations on the new route towards Oldham, and a £14m investment in some of the existing housing stock by Northwards Housing Association.
“The vision for the next 10-15 years is to create a series of modern, vibrant high quality sustainable neighbourhoods,” it states.
“It is envisaged that the initiative within the Lower Irk Valley and Collyhurst will provide over 2,000 new homes, the refurbishment of over 1,000 existing properties, improved retail and public services provision, including schools, enhanced transport and pedestrian routes, together with open space and local environment improvements.”
It argues that “strategic” investment in Collyhurst has the potential to trigger an economic dynamism in the area, citing the example of Hulme as a regeneration area which, after a sustained period of investment, had bucked the trend for inner-city areas to also be one of high unemployment.
Also before the executive was a report seeking permission to issue a Compulsory Purchase Order for land and buildings needed to assemble the site for Manchester City’s proposed £100m training academy near its Etihad Stadium.
At least two companies who own units on the land needed to build the academy are understood to have opposed offers by developers to buy their properties. The council’s report, which was approved by the committee, states that the cost of its CPO will be picked up by the football club and its property development arms.
