New photos show how a landmark housing development will transform the face of a neglected corner of Manchester.
Some 15,000 homes are set to be built from Red Bank, on the northern outskirts of the city centre to Collyhurst, over the next 20 years.
Along with the new homes, which will attract 35,000 new residents, there are plans will be a new primary school, tram stop, parkland, GP surgeries, and walking routes.
READ MORE: Ambitious three-storey restaurant planned at iconic location in Manchester
Red Bank has long been a melting pot of cultures and nationalities and it's played a pivotal role in the development of both Manchester's Jewish and Ukrainian communities.
In the mid 19th Century Red Bank became the centre of Jewish working-class life in the city. Hundreds of poor Eastern European Jewish immigrants settled in the cramped, squalid warren of terraced houses at the bottom of Cheetham Hill Road.
It was, according to Bill Williams, a renowned historian of Manchester's Jewish history, a 'classic slum'. But Red Bank was also a hive of industry. Initially many of its inhabitants scraped a living as hawkers or street peddlers. But as the community grew they became tailors, cap-makers, glaziers and took jobs in the relatively new water-proofing industry.
Fascinating pictures reveal how as the giant new neighbourhood will look once it's finished its latest transformation.
Photos show how the area will transform - with the view of the city shown by the first set of before-and-after pictures, compared to the wasteland on Red Bank plateau at the moment. Meanwhile a second view released by the developers illustrates how a new Union Square waterfront could look from Dantzic Street, with an existing photo showing the site looking in the other direction - with the River Irk to the right of the parked cars.
Work began on the £4 billion project around Angel Meadow last year. So far £120 million has been spent, mainly in securing parcels of land and preparing wasteland for habitation.
That development will build 634 new homes and be called Victoria Riverside. The site is on Dantzic Street in Red Bank — and now the organisation behind the scheme has identified potential sites for the next batch of 1,500 homes.
The 1,500 properties will be complimented by ‘high quality public spaces' and 'a new high street led by local independent businesses’, developers Far East Consortium (FEC) say. That high street will form a core part of the new Red Bank neighbourhood, which is one of seven new areas to be built in the Victoria North project.
After the work is complete, Red Bank will host 5,500 homes, a river park, plus the new high street. It's a development which city leaders say will 'completely transform this part of our city'.
Bev Craig added: "This is a long-term, aspirational programme of regeneration - and represents exactly the type of vision we should be striving for in our city to meet demand for new housing, many of which will be social and genuinely affordable homes while creating sustainable and attractive neighbourhoods. It's brilliant to see this ambition begin to come to life."
Hilary Brett-Parr, project director, said: "We have been very busy over the last 12 months building on our vision for Red Bank and adding more detail to our plans.
“We are excited to share some early imagery of the neighbourhood which shows the quality spaces we intend to create through our Wild Urbanism concept which will unlock the potential of the river.
“We have also identified the next phases for delivery which have the potential to deliver more than 1,500 new homes. We encourage residents, local businesses and stakeholders to come along to speak to the team to find out more.”
Coun Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, added that work beginning on site ‘represents an important and incredibly exciting early milestones for our long-term plans in this area’.
A consultation on the plans is now live on FEC’s website, which you can access here.
Read next:
- Christmas pantomimes and shows in and around Manchester in 2022
- Manchester hotel named among "100 best places to stay in 2023"
- 20+ grottos and places to see Santa this Christmas
- Ambitious three-storey restaurant planned at iconic location in Manchester
- Famous London bakery Gail's to open first north west store
