Greater Manchester aims for 75,000 new homes this parliament

Property and planning professionals packed Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall for a Place North-West discussion about government targets for new homes in Greater Manchester, with speakers including the city-region's Labour mayor Andy Burnham.

An online poll for the Place Resi event had sounded a note of caution on the government’s ability to achieve its national target of 1.5 million new homes this parliament. 98% of respondents voted ‘no.'

Despite this, the mood in Greater Manchester appeared cautiously optimistic on a local allocation of 75,000 new homes – some 5% of the national target. That includes a mayoral commitment to 10,000 new council homes in Greater Manchester by 2028.

“75,000 is achievable,” Mr Burnham told delegates. “If we all in this room, and everyone in our 10 boroughs pulls together, then ‘yes’.”

Availability of development land will be a deciding factor, and delegates heard that the new government has a key role to play in making that possible through the reallocation of public land.

Nine out of the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities have agreed a local development plan, Places for Everyone, which decides the kind of development that takes place in their boroughs, “maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting Green Belt land from the risk of unplanned development”. Stockport opted out of Places for Everyone to develop its own plan.

Mr Burnham said Places for Everyone should speed up the planning process.

In addition, a Greater Manchester Land Commission has been set up to find and secure spare public sector sites for development.

“If we can persuade the treasury to transfer ownership of public land to Greater Manchester, that will help to get some social housing uplift,” Mr Burnham said. “We are now awaiting the budget to see where we will find ourselves.”

Another question for government will be whether Greater Manchester can secure the level of funding and support it wants to fulfil its ambitions for the Bee Network – its vision for a fully integrated public transport system.

While the lion’s share of new housing is expected to be concentrated in Manchester, Salford and Trafford, government targets call for homes across Greater Manchester. Delegates heard that improved public transport provision can unlock opportunities for other areas.

Highlighting Greater Manchester’s ambition to bring eight local commuter rail lines within the Bee Network, Mr Burnham said: “I would encourage everyone to look at the stations and stops on those routes.

“Look at those lines and the land around them. It brings forward brilliant development opportunities. This will transform places as brilliant places to invest and build – 21st century living with a new transport offer. That is the sweet spot. That can breathe life into those places and revitalise them.”

Laura Blakey, Director of Strategic Finance & Investment, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said the single settlement Trailblazer funding deal secured with the last government had already been a game changer for the city-region.

it enables Greater Manchester to now plan and prioritise its own spending over several years, a privilege previously only afforded to the devolved nations. For example, it will enable Greater Manchester to take a longer-term view on brownfield investment, unlocking opportunities that could not be funded in a single year.

She said resource funding for local authorities dealing with planning is now a more pressing issue than capital.

“The ambition for 75,000 homes during this parliament is a stretch target, but we have got to have an ambitious target,” she said. “We are all aware of the housing crisis. While it is a stretch target, there is a need.”