West Gorton £22.9m boost for new council homes
Manchester City Council, in partnership with New East Manchester are set to build 171 new council homes in West Gorton at a total cost of £22.9m.
This follows an award of £11.5M from the Homes and Community Agency who are jointly funding the project alongside Manchester City Council with the aim of kick starting regeneration in the area and providing much needed homes for the community.
The development will include a mix of apartments, bungalows and houses available at affordable rents.
Building is set to commence on the project this summer with the first residents being able to move into their new homes in the spring of 2012.
Forty-one of the homes will be created for families and several will be for older residents with one home purpose built to meet the needs of a family with physical disabilities from the area.
All the homes will meet highest environmental standards which will mean fuel costs and energy bills will be low for residents.
Manchester City Council Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services Councillor Paul Andrews said:
"The funding is great news for the regeneration of West Gorton and a sign of Manchester City Council's dedication and commitment to the community.
"We are delighted to be able to deliver a program of transformation that will have lasting benefits for the community and provide much needed affordable housing.
"The homes are purpose built to meet the needs of the varying community, from larger family homes to provision for the elderly and disabled."
Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester said:
"This investment from the Homes and Communities Agency is very welcome and will kick-start the regeneration of West Gorton.
"These much-needed new homes will really contribute to improving the lives of local people in this part of east Manchester.
"Over the next 10 years we are committed to delivering wholescale renewal of the West Gorton area which will dramatically improve the lives of the people who live there by creating a safer and more attractive neighbourhood with improved local amenities."
Deborah McLaughlin, NW Regional Director of the HCA said:
"Today's announcement of a further round of New Build schemes for Councils is great news for the North West.
"This new funding will give further stimulus to some of our key regeneration areas by providing vitally needed new homes to help people get on the property ladder and by protecting many jobs in the region's construction industry."