6 neglected areas of Greater Manchester that could soon be unrecognisable amid regeneration plans

Stockport is currently Greater Manchester’s poster child for town centre regeneration, but it’s not the only borough that could receive a much-needed boost in the near future.

There are projects either underway or in development in every corner of Greater Manchester. Many of them are council-led and expected to revitalise neglected areas and address important issues, such as the housing crisis and unemployment. 

We’ve already explored what is currently happening in the city centre, so here is a look at some of the other key areas for redevelopment in Greater Manchester. 

Atom Valley

This long-term Mayoral Development Zone project would see the creation of a new technology and innovation hub, along with 20,000 new jobs and 7,000 new homes. It is to be spread across three sites along the M62 corridor: the Northern Gateway, located across Bury and Rochdale, Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale and Stakehill, also in Rochdale and Oldham. The site covers an area of around 17million square feet. 

Dubbed Atom Valley, in honour of Manchester’s role in the splitting of the Atom in 1917, the public-private joint venture will have a “key focus on manufacturing innovation across advanced materials, advanced machinery and the circular economy,” according to the website. The idea is to follow in the region’s historic legacy as an industrial leader. This month, planning permission for a Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC) located near the Kingsway Metrolink stop.

Holt Town

Located in East Manchester, just outside of the city centre, there currently is not much at Holt Town, apart from a Metrolink stop and brownfield. But this neglected corner of Manchester has been earmarked for a massive redevelopment, including 4,500 new homes, some which will be affordable, as well as greenspace and opportunities for around 1,500 new jobs. 

Victoria North, Collyhurst

Collyhurst is another neglected area of Manchester set for a transformation. According to the council’s website, this regeneration project is “UK’s largest and most ambitious regeneration projects. It's the biggest in Manchester’s history.” Developed over the next 15 years, Victoria North will include 15,000 new homes and seven new neighbourhoods, with potential to grow the population by 40,000 people. 

Work is already underway on phase one of the project, which includes 244 new homes, 100 of which will be council social rent housing. Residents are expected to start moving in by autumn, with development in Collyhurst complete by 2026. After that, the project will continue, stretching all the way to Victoria station. 

Ashton-under-Lyne

Tameside is another area set to benefit as a Mayoral Development Zone. Earlier this year, Andy Burnham visited the area to launch the long-term project aimed at “breathing new life” into the area. Ashton Moss has been highlighted as a key area in these plans, with suggestions of building an “innovation park” there that could create new jobs. 

Elsewhere, Ashton town centre, specifically the market square and Town Hall, is set for a facelift thanks to £20million awarded to the area in levelling-up funding from the previous government. 

Wythenshawe

Manchester City Council announced last week that it is on the hunt for a new development to transform neglected land in Wythenshawe town centre. Under these regeneration plans, 1,750 new homes are set to be built, including supported accommodation and genuinely affordable houses, along with a brand new cultural hub and a new public square. 

Funding for the project begins with £20million in levelling-up money, plus an additional £11.9m from the council for the culture hub. Long-term, the overall regeneration of the area will cost around £500m over the next 10 years. Initial development work will begin next year. 

Oldham

Town centre regeneration plans are also on the cards for Oldham. Developer Muse is working with the council to transform the town, creating distinct areas, including a ‘cultural quarter’ near recently saved Coliseum theatre, a ‘retail core’ near the Spindles shopping centre and a ‘civic and residential quarter’. Around 2,000 new homes are also included in the plans, which are expected to take 15 years to complete. 

To create some of these new homes, the Queen Elizabeth Hall will need to be demolished and the Civic Centre would become 600 new homes. Council offices are moving from the Civic Centre into the Spindles shopping centre. Elsewhere, the old Tommyfield market will make way for the new Eton college project and the market will be moving into Spindles.