The £1bn Holt Town Waterfront scheme has received approval from Manchester City Council. At a time when most are fearing the worst for the UK housing sector and signs are that the commercial market will suffer because of the international credit crunch Manchester City Council’s approval of the city’s largest ever regeneration scheme is a massive injection for the region’s construction sector, with a huge construction jobs boost across sectors once the project picks up momentum.

The Holt Town Waterfront is being developed on a 95-acre (38 hectare) site by Cibitas Developments, a partnership led by Stanhope and ING Real Estate with support from urban regeneration company New East Manchester.

Located on the edge of Manchester City centre, it will be a mixed-use neighbourhood designed to appeal to young families. Half of the developments’ 4,300 homes will be ‘family friendly’, or with three beds or more, and the various streets and open spaces have been designed to be safe and enjoyable for young children.
In addition, the area will also include a river valley park, a new Metrolink tram stop linking the area both into the city centre and out to the east, a new primary school, studio/office accommodation and a range of shops, bars and restaurants, all of which are intended to establish a vibrant mixed neighbourhood, just five minutes from the city centre.

The masterplan comprises a series of development parcels ranging in size from 0.2 to 2.2 hectares structured by a hierarchy of streets and green spaces. These green spaces incorporate the core elements of the site including the canal and river, and connect with existing and planned green links through surrounding areas. With the release of land tranches in summer it is anticipated that development teams will be increasing their recruitment drives for construction professionals, experience tradespeople and skilled labourers as momentum picks up.

Cibitas was assisted in the preparation of the planning application by GVA Grimley, EDAW, Arup, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Eversheds and Cre8 Management. With construction work planned to commence later this year, it is expected to take between 10 and 15 years to complete.