The first scheme from Manchester City Council’s new housing company lands in front of the authority’s planning committee next week, set to create 128 homes across two apartment blocks and 10 townhouses in the Ancoats area of the city.
This City plans to develop blocks of eight and five storeys as well as townhouses on the site at Rodney Street. Some 30% of the homes in the £30m scheme would 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 would include more than 130 new trees to improve biodiversity.
The Buttress Architects-designed scheme has been recommended for approval at the next planning committee meeting.
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.
Its website says: “We make no apologies for capitalising on Manchester’s housebuilding 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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