Trafford Council: The secret to creating thriving communities, not just housing
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council shares his thoughts on the importance of building new communities and long-lasting neighbourhoods rather than just housing in the wake of a housing crisis.
The UK faces a housing challenge, with rising demand for safe, quality homes and particular strains on the affordable housing market. As local authorities, we need to play our role in building new homes for our people, taking action by working with the private sector to deliver homes of different tenures, styles and affordability levels.
Across Greater Manchester, we have an ambition to deliver for our people and maximise the strength of our places to deliver a better future for them. That’s why in Trafford, we recognise that building houses alone will not fix the housing crisis, we need to put the building blocks in place to create thriving neighbourhoods that complement existing communities and support growth ambitions.
There are a few pieces of the jigsaw that need to be put together to do this and create a neighbourhood that will stand the test of time.
Connectivity is key
For example, when creating a new community, the site is paramount, and connectivity is key. People need to be connected to infrastructure and existing transport links, but also want to live near major employment hubs to avoid long commutes.
We need to consider the accessibility of a place. No one wants to be limited to their neighbourhood or have to rely on owning a car, so it’s vital that people can travel seamlessly to and from the wider area, and in the case of Davenport Green, across Greater Manchester.
To be successful, housing schemes need to fit into the pre-existing landscape, ensuring that people feel a part of the wider community and not out on a limb with limited connectivity.
Davenport Green will seamlessly integrate into Trafford and its bordering Manchester. It will benefit from a future new Metrolink stop as part of our commitment to sustainable travel, which means residents will have links to the wider GM network, The Bee Network.
As our towns and city-regions strive for growth and investment to provide jobs for our people, we also need to provide homes close by to support hardworking people. Employment opportunities will be more attractive with quality housing options close by, removing the need for long commutes. Davenport Green will deliver 60,000 sqm of office employment land, providing high quality employment opportunities onsite.
In addition, Davenport Green is strategically located to support Manchester Airport, the UK’s third-largest international airport. With major plans for expansion and the development of a new business park on the site, MIX Manchester, Davenport Green’s new homes will support an influx of new workers at all life stages. Connectivity will be further enhanced should the Manchester Liverpool High Speed railway progress – the preferred route and planned airport Station is right on the doorstep.
Create a variety of housing
To support workers throughout their lives, we need to ensure we’re building the right mixture of homes, from apartments and starter homes to family houses.
This includes different levels of affordability. Different house types, tenures and levels of affordability are key to ensuring places are vibrant, inclusive and more diverse. At Davenport Green, we have a target to make 45% of our new homes affordable throughout the site. This will not only help us to address much-needed housing demand, but also ensure new communities can be available to all and benefit everyone.
With this in mind, as place makers we also need to consider amenities like schools, health centres, green spaces, leisure options and community hubs within these neighbourhoods. A range of amenities can ensure our places support people at all stages of life, from growing families to the ageing population. Having everything you need on your doorstep creates a more appealing lifestyle offer that makes a place more attractive and of course, we need to make places fun. The best neighbourhoods have restaurants, bars, shops and activities that make them real destinations and can entertain generations. Davenport Green will therefore have its own local centre, which will provide a range of shops and services to meet local needs.
By providing a range of houses, leisure options and amenities, you can ensure that residents can grow within your community and call it home for life. From raising children to growing old, running a business to having a go-to coffee shop; a personal commitment to a place from residents will help it become more than just houses but a real community with a heart.
Prioritising sustainability
To be fit for the future, new communities must have sustainability at their heart. This means prioritising energy-efficient and eco-friendly homes as well as green spaces that support nature and biodiversity.
All new communities should be prioritising sustainable travel with enhanced pedestrian and cycle links alongside public transport. This is vital as it enhances health and wellbeing, improves air quality and promotes a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
At Davenport Green, we’ll be using a landscape-focused approach to development. We’ll have the largest new rural park in Greater Manchester in a generation, but will also be working with the existing environment and landscape to work alongside nature. We want our community to feel like a part of the landscape, not battling against it.
The existing natural environment is a key part of a development’s character, and preserving it will not only help natural defences as the climate changes but also support the charm of an area.
Preserving character
Through collaboration with existing residents and businesses, placemakers should be working with existing heritage and character assets as well as the natural landscape to give new neighbourhoods a unique personality; preserving these characteristics will give individuality that residents can be proud of.
If you want to preserve local pride and create a neighbourhood that truly fits within its community, you must talk to existing residents about what makes their place unique, what it could benefit from and how they believe a place should be used. This way, your new community will complement the existing one and provide mutual benefits across the wider area.
You can learn more about plans for Trafford’s newest community, Davenport Green, by viewing the master plan here.
To discuss plans for Davenport Green and other development opportunities in Trafford, Greater Manchester, you’ll find representatives from Trafford Council at the Manchester Stand – The Canary, at UKREiiF.