Manchester has set out a planning framework that will guide its next 15 years of development as it looks to deliver tens of thousands of new homes and stimulate further economic growth for the city.
The council has just launched the final consultation on its new Local Plan, which covers new housing, employment space, infrastructure and green spaces.
It comes at a time of significant expansion in the city. Manchester and the wider city region recorded job growth of 19.7% over the past decade, compared with 13.9% for the UK as a whole, with the city’s employment rate now above 75%.
And that economic growth is creating a need for more homes. Manchester’s housing strategy has a target of at least 36,000 new properties by 2032, and almost a third of these had already been delivered by the end of 2025. Last year alone, 2,993 homes were completed in the city.
The new Local Plan will provide the framework for the next stage of development, replacing the existing plan adopted in 2012. An initial consultation in September last year attracted 2,184 responses, which have been used to update the proposals.
Supporting Manchester’s growth
The plans form part of a much wider push to accelerate development throughout Greater Manchester.
The city region’s Local Growth Plan aims to attract £10 billion of investment over the next decade, using public investment to unlock private development and bring forward new homes, employment space and infrastructure.
Funding is already being directed towards schemes that have struggled to progress because of higher construction costs, reduced values and difficulties accessing finance. In May, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority allocated £77.8 million to housing projects expected to deliver another 738 homes.
Some of the biggest opportunities for growth are in the very heart of Manchester. The wider strategy identifies the Central Growth Cluster as one of six priority locations, encompassing major regeneration projects including Victoria North and Holt Town alongside the Oxford Road innovation corridor.
New rules for development
The Local Plan will determine the planning requirements facing developers as this new housing is brought forward.
Among the proposals is a target for 30% of homes delivered each year to be affordable, with social housing accounting for 70% of that allocation. Purpose-built student accommodation developments would also be expected to include affordable housing provision.
Other changes include requirements for accessible and wheelchair-friendly homes, greater protection for green spaces and an increased emphasis on zero-carbon development.
Councillor Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said:
“It’s important that future development plays its part well in making sure Manchester remains a great place to live, with great homes that our residents can afford in attractive neighbourhoods that they want to live in with quality green spaces nearby. This is the role of the Local Plan – to help guide development to help us deliver our vision and ambition.”
Long-term development pipeline
For property investors, the scale of development planned in Manchester and the wider city region points to a substantial pipeline of new residential opportunities.
Greater Manchester’s growth strategy is intended to build on the development already under way, with further housing planned alongside major employment centres, transport infrastructure and regeneration schemes. The new Local Plan will provide the framework for how much of that next phase of growth is delivered within Manchester itself.
Manchester’s Local Plan is now at the Regulation 19 stage, the final version before being submitted to a government inspector for examination. The consultation runs until September 28, with the council expecting the new plan to be adopted in summer 2027.
Photo Credit: Marketing Manchester
