Full Breakdown
Greater Manchester Mayor Launches Public Sector Land Bank to Accelerate Social Housing
8/14/2026, 10:37:59 PM
Core Initiative: Public Sector Land Bank for 10,000 Social Homes by May 2028
Greater Manchester’s new mayor, Bev Craig, announced a public-sector land bank to unlock brownfield sites owned by councils and government bodies. The bank aims to deliver 10,000 affordable homes—including council and social rent units—by May 2028, contributing to a longer-term target of 50,000 homes by 2039.
Background & Context
The land-bank builds on Craig’s earlier Project 500 strategy, which identified 35 brownfield sites capable of delivering 517 affordable homes while she led Manchester City Council. The broader Places for Everyone joint development plan has already mapped land for 78,585 new homes of all tenures up to 2030. Funding includes a £1.8 billion grant from the UK government’s 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme announced in November 2025.
Data & Statistics
- £1.8 bn grant from the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (2025).
- Target: 10,000 council/social homes by May 2028; 50,000 by 2039.
- £6.9 m total cost of the Stamford Street Central project; funded by £2.8 m Affordable Homes Programme and £0.7 m Greater Manchester Brownfield Housing Fund.
- Rental rates at Stamford Street Central: £107 /week (one-bedroom) and £122 /week (two-bedroom).
Official Statements & Responses
Craig said the target is “ambitious” but achievable with coordinated grant funding and a “new board” to oversee delivery across the nine boroughs. She also signalled a forthcoming discussion with the national government about possible changes to affordable-housing definitions and a “forced-sell order” that would set time limits on private owners of blighted land.
Jigsaw Homes chair Roli Barker highlighted the need for land access, noting that developers are ready to build if the bank provides a reliable supply. Managing director Adrian Rooney of J. Greenwood Builders stressed the importance of small- and medium-size enterprises in the local supply chain.
Verbatim Quotes
- “As much as we want to build and we have the desire, the strategy, and the commitment – what we need is the land,” — Roli Barker, Jigsaw Homes chair
- “You’ve got to have the ambition to grow. That sort of target number is something to aim at.” — Adrian Rooney, managing director of J. Greenwood Builders
What’s Next
Craig indicated that a meeting with the national government will be held “in the coming weeks” to finalize a joint strategy for the housing programme. She also hinted at a future announcement addressing the construction-sector skills shortage and reiterated plans to pursue the forced-sell mechanism for blighted sites. These steps are positioned as the next phase of turning the land-bank concept into tangible delivery of affordable homes across Greater Manchester.
