In his first major policy speech as Britain’s prime minister-in-waiting, Andy Burnham unveiled plans to place Manchester at the heart of what he described as a “rewired Britain”, proposing to make it the “No 10 of the North” to drive a new era of devolution, regeneration and economic growth.
Burnham said it would act as a permanent centre of government outside London, bringing together national and local decision-making on issues ranging from transport and infrastructure to housing, skills and economic development and would be “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”.
At the centre of his vision is a belief that too many decisions affecting housing, transport, regeneration and economic growth are still made in Whitehall rather than in the places they affect. “Growth cannot be ordered from the top down,” he said. “Instead, it can only be nurtured from the bottom up.”
Greater control over investment for regions
Burnham wants city regions to have greater control over transport investment, housing delivery, regeneration funding, skills and planning priorities, reducing reliance on Whitehall departments and Treasury-led funding rounds.
He said the aim was to create “a more streamlined state” with “a laser-like focus on growth and regeneration”. For Manchester, that could make it easier to align housing, transport and regeneration priorities and accelerate major development projects.
One of the UK’s largest regeneration pipelines
The city already has one of the UK’s largest regeneration pipelines. Victoria North is expected to deliver thousands of new homes across former industrial land, Mayfield is transforming the area around Piccadilly Station, Atom Valley is being promoted as a major advanced manufacturing and innovation district, and the proposed £4bn Old Trafford regeneration scheme could reshape one of Manchester’s most prominent locations.
Those projects form part of a long period of regeneration that has seen Manchester become one of Britain’s leading regional economies. It is currently home to around 2.9 million people, has an economy worth more than £80bn and has developed into a major centre for finance, technology, media and higher education.
It has made Manchester one of the UK’s strongest housing markets. Rightmove data shows average house prices have risen around 63% over the past decade, compared with approximately 7% in London over the same period.
Another dimension to Manchester’s growth story
If No 10 North becomes a substantial centre of government rather than simply a satellite operation, it could add another dimension to that growth story. The experience of devolution in Scotland and Wales shows that centres of political decision-making often attract wider ecosystems of civil servants, advisers, professional services firms, media organisations, public bodies and businesses seeking to be close to power.
The implications would extend beyond government, too. If Manchester attracts more businesses, public bodies and investment as a result of its enhanced status, the knock-on effects could be felt across the property market, creating additional demand for commercial space, housing, retail and leisure development, as well as the schools, healthcare services and transport infrastructure required to support long-term growth.
Strengthening its appeal to businesses
It could reinforce Manchester’s position as both an economic and administrative centre, strengthening its appeal to businesses, investors and developers already active in the city-region.
For the city’s regeneration, the potential benefits, though, would not just be about devolution and government, with housing central to Burnham’s vision for a “rewired Britain.” He pledged what he described as “the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period”, while arguing that housing development should play a bigger role in revitalising towns and city centres.
“We will use public land, vacant public land, to reduce costs,” he said.
Programme of urban renewal
He also called for “higher density residential development to our towns”, arguing that new housing could help increase footfall on high streets and local centres while reducing pressure to build on greenfield land. No 10 North, he said, would help local areas “turn around their towns, their high streets, and their local centres” as part of a broader programme of urban renewal.
There is little doubt that, if Burnham’s plans come to fruition, they could open up significant opportunities in Manchester for investment, development and regeneration.
Image: BBC
