A draft Local Plan that will help guide development and growth in Manchester over the next fifteen years will be considered by the Council’s executive committee next week ahead of public consultation later this month.
The Plan will act as a guide through the planning process for new housing – including provision for social rent and affordable housing – employment and shops, green spaces, city infrastructure such as roads, schools and healthcare – and how development can support the city to become net zero carbon by 2038.
Overall housing delivery is a set requirement through the GM Places for Everyone plan at 3,533 homes per year – which represents a more ambitious target than the requirement through the current National Planning Policy
Meanwhile the plan looks to formally increase the target of affordable housing through the planning process from 20% to 30% – with 70% of these homes for social rent.
The draft Plan proposes expanding the City Centre boundary to ensure its footprint can capitalise on its potential – and remain the UK’s most significant economic driver outside of London, enabling further economic and employment growth.
Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said:
“Manchester has huge ambitions to make our city even better with great neighborhoods and more good quality homes and well-paid jobs for all of our residents. Our hugely ambitious Housing Strategy is delivering thousands of genuinely affordable, council and social homes in the city. We built more council and social homes last year than we’ve done in well over a decade.
“The Local Plan helps guide appropriate development in the city to make sure that it supports Manchester’s growth and provides a blueprint for development going through the planning process. In order to meet our housing ambitions, we are consulting on increasing the percentage of affordable housing required, to bring it in line with our existing Housing Strategy.
“Importantly it sits alongside other key strategies, such as our housing strategy, and helps us meet our ambitious plans for Manchester’s growth and success over the next 15 years – how we attract business, create jobs, build homes and ensure our residents share in the success of our city.
“One of the key elements of this review is how we continue to build and increase the delivery of the homes that we know our residents need. We have made a commitment to help build at least 36,000 homes up to 2032 – 10,000 of which will be affordable – and updates to the draft Local Plan looks to help us achieve and exceed this target.
“We will be consulting on the draft Local Plan over the next year with the first opportunity to have your say in the next few weeks. This is a real chance to help guide development in the city and I’d urge people to take part.”
