Work begins on new affordable housing development in Manchester

Article posted on: 6 June 2024

Work has started on Laystall Street in Manchester on a new £20m apartment scheme, just off Great Ancoats Street and close to the city centre.

The development, for Great Places Housing Group, features a nine-storey apartment block providing 89 much-needed affordable homes.

Supporting Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA’s) commitment to build 30,000 zero-carbon social rented homes by 2038, Great Places plans to deliver 11,000 affordable homes by 2030.

The Clancy Consulting civil and structural engineering team is working on the scheme alongside OMI Architects and Eric Wright Group, having been earlier engaged to provide geoenvironmental site investigations.

Part-funded by Homes England and GMCA’s Brownfield Housing Fund, the development will offer 28 one-bedroom and 61 two-bedroom apartments designed around a landscaped courtyard. These units will be available for rent to buy and social rent.

Daniel Singh, Clancy Director, commented, “We are currently involved in delivering several affordable housing schemes in the Greater Manchester region and are bringing our expertise to Laystall Street to provide effective engineering solutions to some site challenges.

“The new steel-framed residential block will be constructed tightly against the site boundary on three sides and is adjacent to a Grade II Listed building. The varying levels across the site and restricted boundary require complex stepped foundations around the full perimeter of the new building, incorporating several cantilevered substructure elements to avoid existing below ground obstructions and to maintain a safe working distance away from the listed building. Through close collaboration with the contractor and design team, we developed an optimum structural solution that suited the construction sequencing and buildability complexities that the various site constraints presented.”

Nick Gornall, Director of Development at Great Places, added, “We’re delighted to be starting work at Laystall Street which will provide much-needed affordable accommodation in central Manchester.

“The project will breathe new life into this part of the city centre and reinforces our continued commitment to the delivery of affordable homes across Manchester.”

The project is due for completion in early 2026.