By David Mathias, Partner at Shoosmiths

The Greater Manchester Development Conference 2023 was a key opportunity to hear from the developers, investors, occupiers and operators that are transforming the region’s built environment.

It was my pleasure to chair a session at the conference that explored the strategies for delivering communities, residential-led regeneration, and build to rent (BTR) projects in Greater Manchester.

These are well-trodden topics. Indeed, Manchester is often held up as an example of the power of urban regeneration and residential development, particularly when it comes to multifamily BTR housing where it continues to raise the bar – figuratively, but also through the growing number of high-rise buildings that are emerging out of the ground across the city.

The session was also a chance to reflect on the ambitious projects being developed across Greater Manchester’s boroughs.  It was genuinely exciting to see so many varied and innovative schemes coming forward across multiple locations in Greater Manchester – something of a departure from the gloomy headlines around a general slowdown in the economy.

As an example, Guy Butler outlined Glenbrook’s vision for its £160m BTR scheme in Trafford.

Lumina Village, which received planning permission earlier this year, is set to feature 639 private and affordable homes, alongside 5.4 acres of public realm. It is a transformative project and a catalyst for the wider redevelopment of Trafford’s Civic Quarter.

In other areas, RISE Homes is spearheading BTR schemes in Stockport, including at the Stockport Interchange, with chief executive Nigel Rawlings reaffirming the importance of placemaking.

The concept of ‘bringing people along’ was also a unifying theme. Many of the panellists spoke about how critical early and comprehensive engagement with the community is when delivering schemes.

Such engagement is crucial, ensuring a project meets the needs of the community and residents, and in enabling developers to leave a lasting legacy. An aim that was close to all those taking part, including Capital & Centric, which prides itself on being ‘social impact developers’.

The firm’s co-founder, Tim Heatley, described its approach to community engagement and creation, highlighting how delivering social value is now one of the top priorities for developers when bringing forward residential or mixed-use schemes.

Tim also shared his experience of the region’s evolution, after growing up in Salford and witnessing first-hand Greater Manchester’s journey to become a truly global location and economic hub. A process partly driven by real estate development and investment, and one he is now supporting through Capital & Centric’s regeneration projects.

While the panel were upbeat and excited about the future of Greater Manchester, the challenges currently facing businesses and individuals were never far away from the discussion. The real estate industry continues to be acutely impacted by elevated interest rates and inflation.

Partnerships were identified as a key tool for developers when navigating the challenging operating landscape, while also shaping the future of the living sector.

Katie Dean, land and partnerships director at Keepmoat Homes – another native of Greater Manchester who spoke to its transformation into an international hotspot for investment and growth -and Eleanor Frith, head of land and partnerships at Kellen Homes, shared their views on the model and its potential to increase the delivery of new homes in the UK.

Eleanor spoke passionately about Kellen’s recent developments in Greater Manchester, and highlighted Mellands Park in Gorton as an example of placemaking attracting multi-generational occupiers through offering a variety of tenures and providing a sports and community hub for residents and locals in collaboration with Centrepoint and Greater Manchester Youth Federation.

The role of partnerships is a subject that Shoosmiths has been closely analysing. We recently hosted a roundtable discussion on whether the model can enable those in the living sector to mitigate risk and viably bring homes to market, securing a return.

Hearing from the panellists and other guests on the day demonstrated the long-term value of collaboration, with partnerships often unlocking the delivery of multi-tenure regeneration schemes, not only in Greater Manchester, but nationally as well.

David Mathias is a partner and planning specialist at Shoosmiths

Taking part in the panel – Delivering Communities for Talent – Housing and BTR Projects in Greater Manchester – were:

  • Chair: Shoosmiths; David Mathias, Partner
  • Capital & Centric; Tim Heatley, Co-Founder
  • Kellen Homes; Eleanor Frith, Head of Land and Partnerships
  • Glenbrook; Guy Butler, Co-founder
  • RISE Homes; Nigel Rawlings, Chief Executive
  • Keepmoat Homes; Katie Dean, Land and Partnerships Director

By David Mathias, Partner at Shoosmiths