Delivering Growth in Manchester

Manchester is embarking on an ambitious regeneration programme, investing in its future and working closely with communities across the city to unlock the full potential of the city. These transformative projects aim to enhance economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability, ensuring Manchester remains a leading UK city for continued growth.

The city is prioritising sustainable development, with a commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2038. Projects across the city and surrounding boroughs showcase Manchester’s commitment to creating a place for everyone. With a population of around 550,000 within the city and over 2.8 million in Greater Manchester, it stands as a major economic hub. Manchester has seen significant investments in key industries like advanced manufacturing, creative, digital and tech, life sciences, low carbon and business services and continues to be an industry leader within these sectors.

As the city continues to deliver growth, it aims to deliver thousands of new homes, jobs, and commercial spaces. Here are some key developments across Manchester:

Holt Town

Located in the area between Manchester City Centre and Sporty City and the Etihad Stadium, Holt Town hopes to bridge the gap between the bustling city centre and major cultural venues. The regeneration plans include a mix of new homes, green spaces, and community facilities, to transform the area into a low-carbon, sustainable neighbourhood.

The currently unused brownfield land presents an opportunity to create around 4500 new homes, which includes affordable housing, alongside a range of tenures and housing types to diversify the city’s current housing offer. The vision to regrow the community includes 15 acres of new and improved public green space – with enhanced and regrown woodland and making use of the proximity to the canals and rivers.

Plans also include new commercial space that could support 1500 new jobs in the area as well as new public spaces and amenities, including a 300-capacity cultural and community hub, a lido, creative workspaces, new shops and health services, and a mobility hub to support walking and cycling. To keep their community first promises, Holt Town will be home to a 1km play link for young people to enjoy safe outdoor space all year round.

The Council is also exploring how digital technologies can be embedded into the fabric of urban regeneration projects like Holt Town to modernise the way residents can access public services, from traffic management, waste collection and neighbourhood management to health and social care.

Manchester City Council has produced a Neighbourhood Development Framework to guide the development of Holt Town. The NDF was created through public consultation with residents, businesses, and other stakeholders, to help involve and re-energise the existing community.

MIX Manchester

The Manufacturing Innovation Exchange, abbreviated to MIX Manchester is a premier science, innovation, and manufacturing campus located adjacent to Manchester Airport. Spanning 60 acres, it offers 2 million sq ft of advanced manufacturing, research and development, laboratory, and office spaces, complemented by hotels and leisure facilities.

With over £30 million invested in infrastructure, including utilities and transportation links, MIX Manchester is a 'shovel-ready' site poised to drive innovation and economic growth in the region. Its strategic location ensures excellent connectivity, with immediate access to Manchester Airport, the M56 and M60 motorways, and extensive public transport networks, making it a prime location for global business operations. With its combination of high-specification facilities, unrivalled connectivity, and a thriving innovation community, MIX Manchester is set to become a major hub for manufacturing, technology, and research in the UK.

Upper Brook Street

Manchester City Council initiated the first phase of the Upper Brook Street regeneration project, situated adjacent to the Oxford Road Corridor. This development will transform a brownfield site into over 215,000 square feet of advanced laboratory and office space dedicated to research, digital innovation, and life sciences.

The project is expected to create approximately 2,000 new jobs in its initial phase, with an additional 475,000 sq ft of life science employment space planned for future stages. The building's design emphasises adaptability, featuring floorplates that can accommodate one to four tenancies, and includes an atrium to encourage movement and collaboration. The ground floor will offer a publicly accessible café and innovation space, fostering community engagement.

Construction is set to begin in 2025, with completion targeted for 2027. This initiative aims to strengthen connections between academic institutions and the local community, promoting inclusivity and collaboration.

Wythenshawe Town Centre

The regeneration of Wythenshawe Civic Centre is progressing into its delivery phase, marking a significant milestone in transforming the 1970s-era shopping centre and its surroundings. The project aims to introduce a new public square, retail spaces, net-zero carbon commercial facilities, community and cultural areas, as well as over 1750 new homes. These residences will encompass a variety of housing types, including affordable housing and supported accommodation, to meet local needs.

In early 2024, Manchester City Council secured £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund, with an additional £11.9 million from the council. This combined funding will bring forward the creation of a cultural and creative hub, a food hall, co-working and commercial employment spaces, and overall enhancements to the Civic's public realm. The entire regeneration initiative is projected to attract over £500 million in investment over the next decade, with initial development activities to commence in 2025.

Muse has been named as the delivery and investment partner which will work with Manchester City Council to deliver transformational investment in Wythenshawe town centre. The joint venture has set an ambition to deliver the UK’s first Positive Energy District in Wythenshawe. By delivering energy-efficient buildings along with native trees, urban allotments, and roof gardens, the development achieving PED status is part of a clear roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality and greatly improving local biodiversity.

Mayfield

Transformational city-centre regeneration project Mayfield is progressing into its next phase, focusing on sustainable development and enhanced public facilities. Following the successful opening of Mayfield Park in September 2022—the city's first new park in over a century—the upcoming phase includes the construction of two office buildings and a mobility hub. Driving the change is The Mayfield Partnership – comprised of U+I, Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and LCR.

The new office buildings, named The Poulton and The Republic, will collectively offer 320,000 square feet of workspace. Designed with sustainability in mind, their targets include an overall carbon footprint approximately 40% lower than traditional office structures. This initiative aligns with Manchester's low-carbon objectives of carbon neutrality by 2038. Complementing the office spaces, the planned mobility hub will feature accommodations for 400 bicycles, promoting active travel within the city.

Overall, Mayfield will provide over 2.3m sq ft of office space facilitating 16,000 new jobs, 1500 homes, over 200,000 sq ft of retail and leisure, a new 650-bed hotel and 13 acres of public realm, including Mayfield Park. The remaining phases of Mayfield will be developed over the next decade and are expected to generate in the region of £7bn of socio-economic gain, creating a thriving and exciting neighbourhood right in the city centre.

Strangeways

Manchester City Council, in collaboration with Salford City Council, is developing a Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) to revitalise the Strangeways and Cambridge areas. As a key gateway into the city centre, the SRF aims to transform these neighbourhoods over the next decade. Key plans include identifying suitable locations for new housing, creating green spaces, and improving transportation connectivity. A multi-disciplinary team led by Avison Young has been appointed to guide this transformation.

The combined area of 320 acres holds significant potential for economic growth, with plans to create numerous jobs, homes, and inclusive opportunities for residents and businesses in both cities. Initial engagement sessions were held in February 2024, where residents and businesses met with the design team to discuss the SRF process and provide insights into the existing communities.

Victoria North

Victoria North is Manchester's most ambitious regeneration project to date, aiming to transform 155 hectares of brownfield land north-east of the city centre over the next two decades. This initiative brought together by Far East Consortium and Manchester City Council plans to deliver 15,000 new homes across seven distinct neighbourhoods, significantly contributing to the city's housing needs and accommodating an anticipated population increase of 40,000 people.

The initial phases of Victoria North will focus on the Red Bank and Collyhurst areas. In Red Bank, over 5500 new homes are planned over the next 15 years, offering a range of property types. Planning permission has been granted for the first phase, which includes 634 homes across three towers: City View, Park View, and Crown View. Crown View, at 37 storeys, will be the tallest, contributing significantly to Manchester's skyline.

In Collyhurst, the redevelopment programme aims to significantly increase the number of homes within the estate, with a focus on delivering new affordable housing. This effort includes replacing existing council homes to provide additional affordable units, emphasising the importance of involvement from an affordable housing delivery partner.

Alongside the housing promises, a central feature of the project is the creation of City River Park, encompassing 46 hectares of new and enhanced parkland. This green space will become one of Manchester's largest city centre parks, offering a variety of recreational areas, including smaller parks and amenity spaces.

Sister

Sister is Manchester’s new £1.7 billion innovation district brought to the city by a joint venture between The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech. The project will see the transformation of the University’s former North campus into a 4 million sq ft globally competitive innovation district and will help elevate Manchester’s position as a national centre for science and technology.

Sister is primed to be a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity across the North of England and is projected to contribute around £1.5bn a year to Manchester. The world-class innovation platform will encourage collaboration between industry, academics and innovators to spearhead new ideas across Manchester’s key sectors. The regenerated district aims to create a positive social impact through the generation of a large portion of high-quality employment opportunities, including over 10,000 on-site full-time jobs and accessible routes to education, training and apprenticeships for local people.

Over 1500 new homes will be delivered, alongside over 2 million sq ft of commercial, innovation, retail and leisure space. Within 9 acres of public realm space, Sister will also create a new civic square for Manchester and feature a variety of new and enhanced green spaces for local communities to access and enjoy.

NOMA

NOMA, Manchester's evolving 20-acre neighbourhood, is entering its next phase with significant developments aimed at enhancing its urban landscape. A key project involves the transformation of the iconic Grade II listed New Century House into a luxury lifestyle hotel. Built-in the 1960s for the Co-operative Insurance Society, this 14-story modernist building is set to feature up to 196 guest rooms, a rooftop restaurant and bar offering panoramic city views, and conference and leisure facilities.

In addition to the hotel development, NOMA continues to attract major businesses, solidifying its reputation as a commercial hub. Notably, global financial services company BNY Mellon has announced plans to relocate its 2,000-strong Manchester team to 4 Angel Square by 2026.

These initiatives align with NOMA's master plan to create a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood comprising offices, homes, hotels, shops, restaurants, and bars, all integrated around dynamic urban spaces and public realms. By embracing its rich industrial heritage and fostering innovation, NOMA aims to establish a sustainable and inclusive community that reflects Manchester's growth and diversity.

As Manchester continues to evolve into a dynamic hub of innovation and sustainability, the upcoming MIPIM 2025 provides an excellent opportunity to explore these exciting developments in more detail. The team at Manchester City Council will be on hand to discuss these projects and how they’re shaping the future of the city.