Victoria North’ is to become the new identity for a collection of seven North Manchester neighbourhoods undergoing a £4bn residential-led regeneration.
A joint venture between Far East Consortium (FEC) and Manchester City Council is behind the plans – previously known as the Northern Gateway – to deliver 15,000 homes in Manchester alongside new transport infrastructure, public parks and realm, schools, healthcare amenities and commercial space.
The new identity has been created to recognise how the neighbouring areas will comprise a new district to the north of the city centre.
Victoria North will rejuvenate 390-acres of disused land to create new residential communities and employment space while bringing fresh investment and regeneration to existing communities, including Collyhurst, over the next 10 to15 years.
The new district – Manchester’s largest ever residential regeneration project – will deliver a blend of family homes and apartments across a range of tenures including social and affordable housing and open market private sale.
The regeneration will provide new connections to the city centre for Manchester’s northern areas crossing the River Irk into MeadowSide, an FEC-led residential development surrounding Angel Meadow Park with first residents due to move in later this year.
The first phase of Victoria North took a major step forward last month with the submission of a planning application for Collyhurst Village, which will include 244 new homes and a 1.3 hectare public park. Work is due to begin this summer.
Phase one of development also includes the regeneration of the Red Bank area within the Irk river valley, which is a largely former industrial district and historic home to Manchester Victoria’s disused railway sidings. FEC is bringing forward plans to develop three towers at its Victoria Riverside development, which will create 634 new homes in Red Bank.
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “As we celebrate the first planning application for Collyhurst being submitted and with some other early progress expected on other sites soon, it is now timely to consider by what name the programme of regeneration will be known into the future.
“The nomenclature of the Northern Gateway is an often-used terminology that has been adopted during the early development period of several regeneration schemes across the UK – including in other parts of Greater Manchester.
“Victoria North roots the development over the next 15 to 20 years in Manchester – representing the 155 hectares of regeneration potential from Victoria Station in the city centre into north Manchester and to up to Queens Park. We are at the beginning of an incredibly exciting phase of history for this part of Manchester and with some eagerness to see how this potential unfolds.”
Gavin Taylor, regional general manager at FEC in Manchester, said: “The Northern Gateway has served us well as name as we shaped plans for the area’s regeneration. But as we begin to bring forward development this year, it’s the right time to start creating a sense of place for what will be a significant new district in Manchester, as well as an identity that people can engage with – whether that’s locally or within government as a part of its levelling up agenda.
“When taken together, Victoria North’s seven neighbourhoods are greater than the sum of their parts and we want there to be a sense of cohesion between them. Each area will have its own unique characteristics, meaning we can celebrate the rich identities of existing communities that we’re passionate about preserving alongside new ones that we’re excited to be creating.”
Covering 390 acres, Victoria North consists of seven neighbourhoods: Collyhurst Village, South Collyhurst, New Cross, New Town, Red Bank, Vauxhall Gardens and Smedley Dip & Eggington Street.