Creating desirable homes and neighbourhoods for older people


Summary

Manchester City Council has been successful in receiving social housing grant through the Local Authority New Build programme. During the next 12 months, the city will see the development of a new generation of council housing - the first in more than 20 years.

Key learnings for other councils

Manchester City Council is using its council housing building programme in a highly strategic way to:

  • provide excellent quality and innovative homes for older people
  • make best use of existing housing by encouraging ‘empty nest' households to downsize
  • create attractive neighbourhoods in which the new homes will be located
  • meet the city council's plan to provide a desirable urban environment for older people.

Background to the project

Depopulation has been a major challenge for the city of Manchester. In response, the city council has produced plans to encourage existing residents to stay and encourage other people to move into the city. One of the plans involves making Manchester a place where older people want to live.

Through round 1 of the Local authority New Build programme, the council was awarded funding. Together with prudential borrowing, this would create 32 new homes on six council-owned sites in the northern city districts of Higher Blackley and Charlestown. These areas contain a high proportion of council-owned homes.

The problems and how we tackled them

Council research had shown that a large number of residents in these homes were older people. They were often under-occupying family-sized houses in which they had brought up families. Many wished to move to smaller properties because their homes had become expensive to heat and their gardens difficult to manage. Some residents also had difficulty climbing stairs.

However, the options for downsizing, usually involving small bedsit and one-bedroom council properties, were not enticing. In addition, many older people did not wish to move away from neighbourhoods that had been so much a part of their life.

Manchester's solution was that all the new homes built on the six sites would be two-bedroom bungalows for older people. In allocating these bungalows, priority would be given to households under-occupying family-sized homes. Further research showed that around 300 households living in the city would like to move to one of the bungalows.

The bungalows will have two bedrooms and a garden, and will be built in clusters of six or more. They will be constructed to the Lifetime Home standard and Secured by Design, and are designed to be efficient to run and maintain.

There will be a wealth of eco-friendly features involving high levels of insulation and state-of-the-art solar panels for heating water. The external layout of the developments will be designed to encourage natural surveillance and a sense of community spirit and identity.

The bungalows will be completed by March 2011.

Outcomes and impact

Under-occupation of social rented family-sized homes and the need to create desirable homes and neighbourhoods for older people are issues faced by many councils. The project being undertaken in Manchester may provide a model which other local authorities can adopt.

Contact

Cindy Emmett: Project Manager
Manchester City Council
Email: [email protected]