Holt Town, nestled on the eastern edge of Manchester city centre, is undergoing a transformational journey, writes Becca Heron, strategic director of growth and development at Manchester City Council.

Intimate networking events, hard-hitting panel discussions with industry leaders, and high-energy activation sessions make up Place North’s diverse and engaging programme for the 2025 edition of the international property expo.

Cyber security, Preston’s “limitless” ambition, and the county’s exceptional digital connections were high on the agenda at Place North West’s Lancashire Development Update, held at Preston’s Guild Hall. Education, skills, and the need to develop a workforce to enable growth also took centre stage.

The UK’s social housing sector is at a crossroads. Demand for affordable housing is soaring, but supply just isn’t keeping up, writes Alistair Carruthers, enterprise business development manager at Helpthemove.

One hundred Place North delegates heading to Cannes in four weeks gathered for an inaugural preview dinner at hotel voco in Manchester.

Whisper it, but against a backdrop of economic doom and gloom, could the slow pace of the Northern property market’s lower prices be its secret power? Plus: Socially minded pension funds and dead cats.

Respondents to a recent survey conducted by the lender are finding it tough to deliver in the current market. However, the government’s pro-growth agenda has given the sector an injection of optimism, attendees at a special event heard last night.

What next for ‘levelling up’ after the government dropped the contentious label? Sean Fielding of Cavendish, and former Oldham Council leader, explores.

Against the backdrop of significant housing supply challenges, institutional investors are turning their focus on this emerging asset class as developers and operators race to establish their brands, writes Russell Wright-Turner, partner at Zerum.

Get ready to throw yourself into the thresher that is 2025 because MIPIM will be here in six weeks’ time, writes Lucy Lomas, director at Luma Marketing.

It can take weeks for a council or registered provider to get a vacated property ready for its next tenants. Limiting lengthy void periods is one lever the industry can pull to increase the availability of homes, according to Alistair Carruthers, enterprise business development manager at Helpthemove. 

Businesses from all corners of the built environment sector are throwing their weight behind a campaign to pressure government into providing grant funding to solve the North’s viability crisis. Have you signed up yet? 

Delegates heading to MIPIM for the first time this year were treated to a masterclass on what to expect and how to have a successful time in Cannes at an intimate Place North event last night. 

By reframing certain design decisions, student accommodation can boost long-term returns on investment, writes David Batt, Fairhursts’ new head of interiors and PBSA specialist.

In its push to achieve housing targets, the government wants to lower the cost of CPOs – but will this well-trodden path be effective? Plus: the differing fortunes of speculative offices and data centres.

Planning reform, however radical, will not move the dial on the UK’s sluggish housing delivery record unless the government also commits to significant grant funding to unlock sites in the North of England.

With a focus on developing around railway stations, representatives from local authorities, Network Rail, and the private sector delved into the ins and outs of not only creating a great masterplan, but also ensuring it gets delivered at a roundtable discussion hosted by WW+P Architects and RJP Town Planners.

A more stable economy and increased local powers and funding will improve the property landscape, however shifting the dial on development and investment will be a slow process as the region fights to overcome hurdles.

This year will be another lean one for new-build office development across the North as encouraging rental growth fails to outpace build costs and investor uncertainty keeps yields soft.