Affordable homes plotted for Chorlton baths
The empty leisure centre on Cavendish Terrace in the South Manchester suburb is to be redeveloped into 40 apartments for the over-55s, under plans from the city council and MSV Housing Group.
Manchester City Council selected local housing provider MSV to help it bring the building back into use, following a competitive tender process. Now, the partnership aims to bring forward a development of 26 one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom affordable housing apartments at the site that has been lain empty for five years.
The £9.2m scheme will prioritise over-55s with a housing priority need, including those wishing to right size and free up a social rented family home in the local area for the many families on the housing waiting list.
The homes at Chorlton Leisure Centre are to be built to HAPPI (Housing Our Ageing Population Panel) design standards, which include space, flexibility and a focus on health and wellbeing, the inclusion of large balconies, increased light levels and shared social spaces, and high quality fixtures and fittings.
Manchester City Council already owns the site and once planning permission is granted, the development is expected to be completed by spring 2023, the partnership said. There may also be opportunities to bring in health services, community spaces and other components within the scheme.
MSV chief executive Charlie Norman said: “We are thrilled to have been chosen to deliver what will be a beautiful development in a fantastic location. Chorlton needs more age-appropriate housing and it’s crucial now, more than ever before, that we focus on a safe home environment that is both affordable and meets the present and future needs of residents.”
The project “will deliver the first social housing we’ve seen built in Chorlton for a long time, alongside developing community, health and wellbeing facilities”, added Cllr Eve Holt, Labour councillor for Chorlton.
“There is a strong commitment in the plans to people, place and planet, helping us to respond to our housing crisis and climate crisis and support a thriving age-friendly neighbourhood.”
MSV owns and manages 9,000 homes across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and has recently increased its focus on ‘later living’ housing.
Interesting and exciting to see this happen, sad to lose the community asset but I think this a positive compromise. I wonder who the architect is and looking forward to some positive community engagement on the design of this
By Dan
Great to see some much needed social housing being built in Chorlton . Be interested to know how about environmental standards of this build and how it is helping Manchester respond to the climate crisis.
By Celia Hooson
I hope the intended use of these apartments has been written into the contract do that the priority is retained. It seems a laudible aim that should not be eroded when seeks NH future tenants.
By Tina