The Duchy of Cornwall, run by the Prince of Wales, is building a new town in Cornwall whose high street design is modelled on Altrincham Market in Greater Manchester, part of an effort to revive the UK high street.
Nansledan, on the outskirts of Newquay, began construction more than a decade ago and is set to house 8,000 residents. A central feature of the development is a food hall modelled on Altrincham, which will sit alongside a Tesco supermarket as one of two larger units within walking distance of the high street, so residents can reach everything they need on foot and keep the centre vibrant.
High street design aims to reverse decline
The high street is designed to show councils and the government a way forward, with all shop floors built at the same level so businesses can start small and expand sideways if they flourish. Prime Minister Andy Burnham named regenerating the country's high streets as a top priority in August, saying they have "become unrecognisable over decades of decline" with "the rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators".
Altrincham Market opened in 2014 and has been praised for breathing new life into the Trafford town, inspiring similar efforts across the country. The new town project is reported by The Economist.
Potential model for Manchester development
Greater Manchester could see its own Nansledan, as the Duchy of Cornwall is hugely influential in town planning. Its last new town, Poundbury in Dorset, spread affordable homes among general market housing and hid cars in courtyards, practices now common on new housing estates.
King Charles, who led Poundbury's development, showed Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner around Nansledan when they announced more funding for new towns. Building new towns is a pledge Andy Burnham remains committed to by backing Labour's 2024 manifesto, with one in Manchester.
That is Victoria North, a huge development from the outskirts of Manchester city centre to Queens Road in Harpurhey. More than 15,000 homes, a new school, Metrolink stop, medical facilities, and shops will be built under the Victoria North plan worth £4 billion.
