Greater Manchester has taken a major step forward in its ambitious ten-year growth plan with the launch of a new Development Forum and an interactive map showcasing development opportunities across the city-region.
The initiatives are part of a wider strategy to deliver tens of thousands of new homes, create thousands of high-quality jobs, and unlock significant private sector investment. The plan centres on a new Integrated Pipeline for Growth, targeting investment at six key Growth Locations with the greatest potential to benefit all ten boroughs.
The newly launched Development Forum will bring together developers, investors, and construction leaders to align on long-term plans and accelerate delivery. It aims to:
- Provide clarity and confidence to the development sector
- Enable collaborative problem-solving
- Support faster, more strategic delivery of housing and employment sites
Further details about the Forum’s programme will be unveiled at the Housing 2025 conference in Manchester next month.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said:
“Right now, the message coming from across the North is loud and clear: back us to deliver economic growth and unleash the potential of our places. Our future will be built from the bottom up, not the top down.
“In Greater Manchester we're using our devolved powers to unlock transformative regeneration projects across our city-region. We’ve had a decade of growth above the UK average, and with the right support we can go even further.
“With a clear offer on the table for Government and investors, focused on our Growth Locations, we’re creating a blueprint for building thousands of new homes, creating high-quality jobs, and delivering a decade of prosperity.”
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, also commented:
“Greater Manchester's growth has outpaced the rest of the country over the past decade. But the next 10 years could yet be the most exciting in our history, if we can work with Government to unlock major new investment and remove the blockers to future growth.
“Our success has been built on collaboration, innovation, and strong partnerships that get everyone pulling in the same direction. Now, we’re putting in place all of the pieces that will help deliver transformative economic growth for the next generation.”
The growth strategy is backed by a single investment pot, enabled by the Trailblazer devolution deal with government. This gives Greater Manchester greater financial flexibility to pump-prime key sites and attract private capital.
At last week’s UKREiiF conference, city-region leaders made the case for Greater Manchester as the UK’s premier investment opportunity, highlighting its integrated approach to transport, housing, innovation, and the net-zero economy.
Image credit: iStock
