Manchester City Council, placemaker Muse, and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) have announced at the UKREiiF investment forum that they have signed a collaboration agreement to deliver the first phases of new homes in Wythenshawe’s £500m regeneration plans.
It was announced last summer that Muse had been selected to partner with MCC to deliver the once in a generation plans which will see Civic – the town’s much loved shopping centre – restored with a new Culture Hub, food hall, public square and flexible workspaces. Plans are now well underway, with a planning application submitted for the Culture Hub and a community conversation launched to get locals involved in shaping the future of the town.
The longer-term plans will see up to 2,000 new homes – including significant affordable housing – delivered over the next 10 years. The collaboration with Wythenshawe Community Housing Group will mean that plans for the initial three sites with the potential to deliver around 400 new affordable homes for people from all walks of life can get underway.
Joe Stockton, senior development manager at Muse, said:
“The collaboration with Wythenshawe Community Housing Group made perfect sense –they are so well connected in the community, and they bring a huge amount of local knowledge to support our ambitions to build the high-quality homes that Wythenshawe needs.
“Together, we will create sustainable neighbourhoods with spaces for the community to grow and a mix of homes that keep families together and deliver long lasting benefits for local people.
The Wythenshawe town centre regeneration masterplan will see the town grow into a sustainable urban neighbourhood with significant investment in outside and green spaces, as well as walking and cycling routes. The plans for the town also include new workspaces for independent businesses and growing local enterprises, helping to boost economic opportunities in the area.
Public consultation on the first residential planning application will commence in autumn 2025, with construction of the first new homes anticipated to begin in late 2026
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“The people of Wythenshawe have told us that they want to see quality new homes as part of the transformation of their town centre and the wider neighbourhood, which will include lots of affordable housing to meet demand in the area. As one of the largest social landlords in the city – and already well known by thousands of tenants locally – Wythenshawe Community Housing Group is the obvious partner to help us realise the ambitious home building plans we have for this community. We look forward to continuing the long partnership we have enjoyed with them to deliver the homes our city needs.”
