The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has said that the region thanks to its pioneering devolution deals and innovative partnership work, stands on the cusp of what could be its “best decade since the Victorian era”
Speaking at an event in Manchester City Centre and joined by partners from across the city region he launched the new Greater Manchester Strategy 2025-2035, a blueprint for a greener, fairer future.
Building on the announcement last week that Greater Manchester will become the UK’s first Prevention Demonstrator, the Mayor said that the city region is developing a better way of delivering public services and “creating the conditions for everyone to live well, rather than waiting until people are in crisis to offer support.”
New bus routes, tramlines and train stations will unlock land for thousands of new homes, and by 2027 he pledged to build more social housing than we lose through Right to Buy
New Mayoral delivery vehicles have been proposed for Bolton, Ashton and Stalybridge, Atom Valley, and Leigh, with Steve Coogan to help lead regeneration work in Middleton
Lord Coe will chair the Mayoral Development Corporation for Old Trafford Regeneration – the biggest sports-led scheme since London 2012
Meanwhile work on the Metrolink extension to Stockport will be under way by 2030, while a new tram-train route will connect Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Oldham, and night buses will hit roads in Bury and Rochdale
The Mayor also announced plans to unlock transformative investment in transport infrastructure, so that by 2050 Manchester Piccadilly has an underground tram and train station with a high-speed rail link to Liverpool and regeneration of the surrounding area – making it ‘the Kings Cross of the North’.
The Greater Manchester Strategy also sets out how we’ll transform our technical education system, including through delivery of the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate.
This includes giving every young person who needs one access to a guaranteed high-quality 45-day work placement.
And to help connect young people with work and study opportunities, Greater Manchester will also introduce half price bus travel for 18-21-year-olds from September 2025.
A pilot of free 24-hour bus travel for older and disabled people will also be rolled out in August, lifting the morning restrictions before 9.30, and will be evaluated to see how it could be developed.
