Manchester launches 1,000-home Grey Mare Lane consultation
BDP has drawn up the proposal for the revitalisation of the housing estate on behalf of the city council, One Manchester, Great Places Housing Group, and This City.
A consultation has started for the regeneration masterplan for Grey Mare Lane estate in East Manchester and will run until 30 June. You can access the consultation at manchester.gov.uk/consultations.
The initial plans include at least 1,000 homes – many of which would be designated affordable – and a series of green spaces. Other figures of the masterplan include the addition of cycle lanes, walking routes, sustainable drainage systems, and the reduction of lanes at the Bell Crescent and Alan Turing Way junction.
The masterplan also calls for an improvement to the area’s retail and health offering.
New access routes from Newcombe Close and Raglan Close would be introduced as part of the masterplan, as would a school street between East Manchester Academy and St Brigid’s School.
The reworked masterplan builds upon one drafted in 2021 for the 57-acre, 50-year-old estate. That plan called for the demolition of 124 properties, retrofit of 150, and building of 290. Since 2021, approximately 100 residences have been retrofitted.
Last year, a statement of intent showed an inclination to increase the number of new-build properties from 290 to 550.
As the latest masterplan shows, that ambition has grown considerably.
While consultation has only just begun on the revised masterplan, parts of it are already in motion. Great Places is lined up to begin consultation for the first Grey Mare Lane development site on 5 June. This would be for 66 social rent apartments.
Cllr Gavin White, the city council’s executive member for housing and development, said that he hoped local people would engage with the masterplan consultation.
“The Grey Mare Lane estate is, for many reasons, a great place to live,” he said. “There are already lots of affordable homes, great connections to the city centre via various public transport options, schools and colleges close by, and this community is at the heart of the transformation of the wider area – now globally recognised for sport and leisure.
White continued: “However, 50 years after the estate was first built by the council, this neighbourhood needs investment that will keep it in step with the wider area. And we know residents have been waiting patiently for the plans to come forward.”
Helen Spencer, Great Places’ executive director of growth, echoed White’s sentiments about resident engagement.
She said: “Regenerating local areas can only be done by working together and we are looking forward to working with our partners and the community to shape the exciting vision of the masterplan.”
Affordable housing should all be in city center and expensive housing should be in the outer areas because those with higher wages are able to pay higher transport costs and so the transport system can be better funded .
By June Smith
More cycle lanes. I can hardly contain myself.
By Elephant
I think June Smith has got it a bit back to front. The land closer to city centre needs to be put to the highest value use, that helps maintain the economic vitality of the city. What pays for transit is density, not affluence. Lower income households need to be blended into mid and higher income communities further out that have strong transit because they are built with the right density.
By Rich X
Isn’t it sad how some people focus on one small part of a masterplan and turn it into misery because of how ill informed they are
By Anonymous
Expensive housing is always outside the city as people who can afford to escape the crime and grime will do so, nobody wants to raise kids in the city
By Anonymous
@May 20, 2024 at 4:34 pm
By Rich X
Good points. I’d plump for ‘gentle density’ as per the Create Streets model. Mansion blocks and townhouses with private gardens, social housing pepperpotted throughout private development.
@May 21, 2024 at 9:07 am
By Anonymous
That’s just defeatist. The way to handle inner city crime is to have police patrolling on foot – preventative policing where the police become established in their patch. That’s the progressive way – getting to the root of the matter. In fact, that’s what we used to do.
By Anonymous
Well, we need more houses, but we can’t build them near me! we also can’t build on the green belt. Towers in town are eroding the Victorian charm of Manchester’s post-industrial surface car parks. Instead, there should only be family homes with gardens. They’ll somehow be affordable on incredibly expensive plots, yet won’t cost the taxpayer anything. But once again, they can’t be near me or the Green Belt or high density. It’s simple really
By bada boomer
Anonymous – except the most expensive housing per sq ft in northern england is located in central Manchester. Some of the most expensive property in the world is located in central London.
By all means raise your kids in the suburbs. But having them trapped in a car-dominated neighbourhood with nowhere to play out, where they can’t walk to see their friends and have no freedom whatsoever… doesn’t sound great to me.
By Anonymous
Central Manchester is the most car dominated neighbourhood in the region, pollution is sky high and there is nowhere to play like there is outside of the city
By Anonymous
Makes me smile when people grumble about there isn’t enough affordable housing in the City Centre when tall apartment blocks are built.
This is the City Centre !
By Peter Chapman
the most expensive housing per sq ft in northern england is located in central Manchester, NOT TRUE
By Anonymous
Once again Grey Mare Lane estate seems to have been forgotten and looks a state; rat infested and neglected. Residents get a raw deal huge investments have been made within the area but this estate has been left hanging. Either definite plans should be made to regenerate this tired estate or pull the whole estate down and turn into a giant car park for Manchester City.
By Tired resident of tired estate!