Manchester council's draft local plan aims to build 61,000 new homes by 2039, but councillors have raised concerns about the impact on the city's roads and public services.
Councillors voice concerns
During a meeting on July 21, Councillor Mahdi Mahamed, representing Moss Side, asked about the need for doctors and dentists. Fallowfield Councillor Ghazala Sadiq said: “I think it’s really important to get that community element right, especially when we’re building new homes.”
She added: “But I also think when you’re building new homes in an already congested area, that really needs to be addressed too, because now you’re putting more pressure on an already thriving community. So how are we going to continue to flow traffic and not saturate NHS practices? I think the impact of that also needs to be addressed to make sure those communities are thriving and sustainable.”
Council's response
Councillor Gavin White, the council's lead on housing and regeneration, said: “It’s not just homes we’re building, we want to build sustainable thriving communities which need parks, schools, public transport, doctors, dentists shops, all those amenities.” He noted that many proposed housing sites are on land 'generally quite close to those amenities already', but acknowledged 'pockets where we do need more doctors and more dentists'.
The draft local plan calls for a 'modal shift' from car use to public transport and active travel like walking or cycling. Council bosses aim to 'contribute to delivery of the network plan of walking, wheeling and cycling routes' and make 'improvements to the extent and reliability of the public transport network'.
Brownfield approach and transport plans
The plan takes a 'brownfield first' approach, building homes close to existing public transport networks. Transport for Greater Manchester has an 'active travel mission' to build a 'world-class walking, wheeling and cycling network'. Recent schemes include revamping Deansgate and Chapel Street with new cycle paths, and plans to overhaul Oldham Road.
Harry Gray from campaign group Walk Ride GM welcomed the Oldham Road plans in June, saying: “If another 100,000 people come here in the next 10 or 20 years as some have predicted, we’ll just end up with gridlock everywhere.”
Growth locations
Some areas are designated as 'growth locations', including the city centre (with plans to expand its boundaries), Holt Town, Sportcity, and Victoria North (neighbourhoods north of the city centre including Collyhurst). The draft local plan is at an 'advanced and final stage' and is moving towards adoption in summer 2027.
