Manchester Completes Almost 70 Low-carbon Council Homes
Main contractor Rowlinson has delivered 48 apartments and 21 houses, all available for social rent, on a brownfield site by Rochdale Canal in Newton Heath. How will these homes help to boost pride among the local community?
Manchester City Council owns the land, which is situated off Silk Street, and had led the project.
The 69 low-carbon homes are part of the city council’s wider ambition to build 36,000 homes by 2032, with approximately a third of those homes needing to be genuinely affordable, according to the council.
Solar panels and EV charging points have been implemented for the homes
Manchester City Council Leader Councillor Bev Craig revealed that the focus of the project has been providing people with the housing they desperately need: “At this development, using council-owned land, we have made sure that every house is available at social rent to help meet demand for high-quality affordable homes in this area – and ensure that as many people as possible can access these properties.”
Of the 48 apartments constructed, 36 have only one bedroom while 12 have two. The city council has said it has reserved 16 apartments for those who are over the age of 55.
The apartments have been designed to HAPPI principles so that those in wheelchairs can easily navigate the space. They also each have a balcony and have access to a shared outdoor space. The apartment blocks themselves have living walls and roofs.
It has been said that 21 houses break down to 17 three-bed homes and four four-bed homes. These houses have private driveways and gardens, as well as solar panels and EV charging points.
All homes have ground-source heat pumps and utilise mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, keeping energy costs low.
The scheme is amplifying sustainable social housing development
David Chilton, Managing Director of Rowlinson said that the project is delivering sustainable social housing: “This is a fabulous development, built to an enhanced specification delivering tangible sustainability benefits, pushing the boundary of responsible and resilient social housing.”
From construction through to now seeing the residents in their new homes, it’s a success for all the partners involved.
The Newton Heath project was designed by Modern City Architecture & Urbanism, alongside Ridge, Energy Council, and TBA.
Schemes like this are needed to drive forward housing development, but also to ensure that sustainability and affordability are put at the heart of social housing projects.
