Manchester City Council’s executive will be asked to approve the ambitious plans to transform Holt Town into a new woodland town in the city of Manchester at a committee meeting next week (Weds 22 January 2025), following positive feedback from comprehensive public consultation last year.
Holt Town is a major regeneration opportunity to develop a new mixed use neighbourhood, highly sustainable with thousands of new homes of different types and tenures – from family housing through to age friendly and key worker apartments – incorporating high quality green spaces surrounding a 1km play street spine, provision of new local services, cultural opportunities, and significant affordable workspace.
Situated along the Medlock Valley between the bustling areas of Ancoats and New Islington and the dynamic zones of Sportcity and the Etihad Campus, investment in Holt Town will unlock a missing link.
The principles of development will take a carbon neutral approach and a people-first ideology that will prioritise active travel options and public transport over car use.
Consultation with local people and businesses was undertaken between August and September 2024, including online options and in-person events – as well as workshops with local school pupils from St Anne’s RC primary to develop play space ideas for the community.
The engagement opportunities attracted 10,000 website visits and 411 formal responses showing strong support for the vision of a mixed-used residential led neighbourhood outlined in the draft Neighbourhood Development Framework (NDF).
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“Holt Town has huge potential and this is feeding our ambition to create a brand new woodland town – the first of its kind in Manchester.
“We have an opportunity to deliver a transformative programme of investment and we expect this area to be Manchester’s next urban regeneration exemplar, creating a neighbourhood that meets the needs of our city and our people – with at least 4,500 new homes, including significant affordable housing options.
“This neigbourhood will represent a people first focus around active travel, green spaces, new play spaces for young people – and a digital first approach that will better connect the community with local services.
“Following consultation, we are beginning to move to the early delivery phase for Holt Town – a new town within the city of Manchester – that will finally bridge the gap between the city centre, Sportcity and the Etihad Campus in east Manchester.”
