A 'derelict and empty' area on Manchester currently housing just 100 residents, is set to be transformed into a vibrant 'new woodland town' featuring a lido.
A comprehensive development plan for Holt Town has been given the green light by Manchester Council, which is aiming to rejuvenate the 30-hectare site nestled between Ancoats, Beswick, and New Islington.
The vision for the future includes creating a space for 4,500 homes, generating 1,500 jobs, establishing a 'culture hub' around Hope Mill Theatre, launching a 1km-long 'play link' for families, and introducing the city's first lido in many years.
Council leader Bev Craig praised Holt Town’s potential, heralding it as a place that could represent a 'first of its kind in Manchester... a brand new woodland town'.
In January, Cllr Craig said: "This neighbourhood will represent a people-first focus around active travel, green spaces, new play spaces for young people – and a digital first approach that will better connect the community with local services."
Construction has not yet commenced, held up by what council leaders describe as an 'old-fashioned problem' preventing the start of full-scale development.
Speaking at the prominent MIPIM property conference in Cannes, France, Shelagh McNerney remarked on March 11: "There's a level of investment needed within each plot. If you add up all of that across Holt Town that's a big number.
"We need that not just to make a nice place but to address some of the things under the ground. It's old-fashioned physical constraints that slow us down."
However, it appears that behind-the-scenes manoeuvres are underway to kickstart the revamp of Holt Town.
MCR Property Group revealed on Tuesday (April 29) that it had finalised the purchase of three land parcels in the area, collectively spanning nearly 16 acres, with plans afoot to construct up to 2,000 homes.
The most substantial plot encompasses the former site of the Saxon Street gasometer, which was situated behind the Bradford Inn pub until its demolition in 2023. Additional plots comprise grassland and a gas pipe, accessible solely via a Manchester City FC car park, along with a five-acre L-shaped parcel of land situated behind Co-op Live.
This marks the second ex-gasworks site acquisition by the company, which received approval in 2023 to build 1,200 flats on Gould Street, near Victoria Station, four years subsequent to their purchase of the land.
Nick Lake, from MCR, stated: "As our second former gasworks site in the city, we will be able to apply our proven expertise in unlocking brownfield land for transformational development and we are looking forward to contributing to the wider Holt Town regeneration."
While no official details regarding the proposed homes have been disclosed, the Holt Town neighbourhood development framework permits towers of up to 22 storeys in height. The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that MCR is currently in discussions with the council regarding the specifics of any forthcoming development.
