The first scheme from Manchester City Council’s new housing company has been signed off, set to create 128 homes across two apartment blocks and 10 townhouses in the Ancoats area of the city.
This City will develop blocks of eight and five storeys as well as townhouses on the site on Rodney Street. Some 30% of the homes in the £30m scheme will be available for affordable rent with the rest for market sale.
The Rodney Street development will be low-carbon with limited on-site parking to encourage use of public transport. The public realm will include more than 130 new trees to improve biodiversity.
Bev Craig, leader of the council, said: “It is great to see the first This City site out of the blocks and delivering the homes that we know Manchester people need… This is a really exciting time for Ancoats and the beginning of the completion of a regeneration journey spanning two decades.”
The council describes This City, launched earlier this year, as focused on “high quality, low-carbon housing for all Mancunians”, with a target of bringing forward 500 homes a year. It will use the proceeds of for-sale homes to back the development of homes priced at or below the Local Housing Allowance rate.
On its website it says: “We make no apologies for capitalising on Manchester’s house-building boom. Manchester must open every option to get more homes built. Business-as-usual won’t do it. This City means business-but-better.”
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