Salford is set to benefit from almost £10million of brownfield development funding.
On Friday 29 July, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) approved the allocation of £27million of tranche three funding to be split across local authorities in Greater Manchester. On top of this is £9.6million of underspend which has also been redistributed.
In total 31 brownfield sites across Greater Manchester were successful from 147 nominations. The sites identified for development were assessed by officers on their viability and how they support the principles of the Greater Manchester Strategy.
In Salford five sites were successful taking up a quarter of the share of the funding to provide 620 homes. This equates to just short of £10million of funding awarded to Salford.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, GMCA Deputy Mayor and portfolio holder for Homelessness, Healthy Lives and Quality Care said: “Bringing forward the most sustainable brownfield land for development is the approach we are taking in Greater Manchester and this decision once again supports that.
“The aim is that brownfield land – which is land that has been used before and is disused or derelict – is much better to develop on than a green field site that has never had development on it. This is something that is backed by all local authorities in Greater Manchester.
“Green space is vital as we work to be carbon free in Greater Manchester by 2038. Green land is cheaper to develop on so this important funding will be used to unlock brownfield land ready for development.
“We are in the middle of a national housing crisis and need to provide much needed land for homes for our communities across the whole of Greater Manchester.”
This new announcement supports the ambition of Greater Manchester leaders to take a brownfield first approach to development. Leaders set out this approach as part of the previous Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, and the Places for Everyone plan will also have a brownfield first preference towards development in order to meet the Government’s housing targets while minimising the impact on the green belt.
