AFTER missing out on £252m of state investment when the Government cut the Homes and Communities Agency budget, Manchester is now trying another approach to deliver the much needed regeneration of Collyhurst.
Here’s the city council press release.
'A search has been launched for a lead investment partner to deliver one of Manchester's most important regeneration initiatives.
'Manchester City Council with Network Rail and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) are looking for a partner to realise plans to create a series of high quality new residential neighbourhoods in the Collyhurst and Lower Irk Valley areas of north Manchester.
'The areas, on the edge of the city centre and offering an attractive river valley setting and excellent transport links, are considered to be among very few in Greater Manchester with the potential to provide much-needed housing on a large scale close to job opportunities. Covering around 135 hectares, the regeneration initiative is nationally and regionally significant.
'The vision for the next 10-15 years is to create a vibrant new place with mixed housing for working families and employment. The plan includes building more than 2,000 new private homes - in a wide range of housing types, from family homes to apartments - and refurbishing another 1,000, boosting the population by 10,000 residents. A new retail hub will be developed on Rochdale Road, providing shops and services for the area's new community.
It is intended that the design of the new neighbourhoods will capitalise on the area's existing open spaces and setting, creating an attractive and sustainable place to live which would be a leading example of low carbon development.
Neighbouring areas such as NOMA, Miles Platting and The Green Quarter are benefiting from considerable investment and the Collyhurst and Lower Irk Valley sites are well placed to share in this momentum.'
'The pre-qualification questionnaire has been published on the City Council's e-tendering portal 'the chest'. To take part in the procurement process and to access the questionnaire you must register first on the e-tendering Portal at www.thechest.nwce.gov.uk. To register please visit the Suppliers' area of the portal and click 'the 'register free' link and follow the on screen guidance to access the opportunity.
'GVA Grimley is advising Manchester City Council and its partners through the procurement process. It is anticipated a preferred bidder will be selected by the end of 2012.'
Confidential comment from Jill Burdett
This is the city council’s Plan B after Collyhurst missed out on HCA funding in 2010.
(Brunswick got through and who will be doing the work there should be decided by this summer)
It extends the original ambition by increasing the number of private new homes from 1,500 to 2,000 which in turn makes it more attractive to a private developer.
It packages up a difficult element, the refurbishment of 1,000 existing properties , with the more attractive, 2,000 new homes on land already parcelled together in a strategy Sir Howard Bernstein alluded to when he spoke to Confidential last week.
It’s a hugely ambitious plan to extend the city north east through one of the few green, if neglected areas while at the same time improving housing in one of the most deprived wards in the country.
The big challenge will be trying to accommodate all the new build while at the same time opening and enhancing the Irk Valley.
The original report (well the one from 2009) for the regeneration of Collyhurst is here.
Thanks to b4mmy for the photograph.
