Senior politicians, business leaders and key industry figures shared their views on meeting the challenge of building an estimated 11,000 additional homes needed in Greater Manchester each year — 227,000 by 2035 — at a Round Table event hosted by Manchester-based Lovell, one of the UK’s leading housing developers.
With the Government’s Housing White Paper imminent, guests – including Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Greater Manchester mayoral candidate; Eamonn Boylan, chief executive officer, Stockport Council and Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese — explored solutions to building the new homes the region urgently needs.
Strong private and public sector partnerships needed
A key theme to emerge from the discussion was the importance of strong partnerships — between private and public sectors and local communities — in creating sustainable and successful communities. Similarly, there was consensus on the importance of delivering new homes available through all forms of tenure, both for shared ownership and rent as well as homes for sale.
Mr Burnham called for housing to be part of a wider debate taking in a range of related issues. He said: “It is important when we are discussing housing requirements and regenerating communities we consider the wider implications such as transport links, access to local schools and colleges, green space and community areas; all need to be considered when talking about sustainable communities.”
Eamonn Boylan, chief executive officer of Stockport Council who is set to be the first chief executive officer of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, comments: “I was encouraged by the clear recognition by all sectors of the importance of place. We need to work together to ensure that we are providing the right homes in the right places and making sure that the quality of life enjoyed by residents is paramount.”
Lovell regional director Nigel Yates says: “The Round Table event provided a valuable opportunity to hear views from government, business and housing sector leaders on how the thousands of new homes needed across the North West can be delivered – and, importantly, how we can ensure those homes meet the particular needs of local communities. The emphasis on the role of partnerships chimes strongly with our own approach, working with housing associations and local authority partners building new homes across the UK.”
