Work has begun on one of the region’s most ambitious regeneration projects as Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, has broken ground on the £145m transformation of the former Boddingtons Brewery on Great Ducie Street in central Manchester.
It paves the way for 505 new homes, 60% of which will be affordable.
The site, once home to Manchester’s most famous beer and which has been derelict for more than a decade, will be reborn as Brewery Gardens, a new mixed-tenure neighborhood featuring high quality homes, flexible commercial spaces, landscaped public realm, and generous amenities for residents.
Key partners, including Clarion Housing Group’s chief development officer, Richard Cook and CEO Clare Miller, were joined by Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, representatives from Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Homes England, and construction partner Graham to celebrate the groundbreaking milestone.
Once complete, the Brewery Gardens development will deliver hundreds of new homes, with 60% affordable housing, including 115 homes for social rent, which is an unprecedented level for Manchester city centre.
The tenure mix includes properties for private sale, social rent, affordable rent, and shared ownership.
Designed to reflect the area’s industrial heritage, the flagship 29-storey building will combine a traditional brick façade with contemporary design features. Construction is due to be completed in autumn 2028, paving the way for residents to move into their new homes shortly after.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council said: “This is a massive regeneration and affordable housing boost for the city centre transforming an iconic site that had laid derelict for too long into new homes and kick-starting regeneration.
“As one of the first developments in the new plan for the Strangeways area the scheme will be a catalyst for wider investment in the area and shows that Manchester is delivering high quality affordable homes right in the heart of the city.”
“We have made a clear commitment through our ambitious housing strategy to help deliver at least 10,000 social, council and genuinely affordable homes in the city up to 2032 – with at least 3,000 in the city centre alone – and it’s major projects such as this that are helping us to meet this target and the deliver the homes our residents need.”
Chief Development Officer of Clarion Housing Group Richard Cook said: “Breaking ground at Boddingtons is a milestone we’ve been working towards for many years, and it’s a privilege to be here with our partners to make it happen.
“We are passionate about bringing affordable housing back to the heart of Manchester and our project will add to a new vibrant community that is developing,on and around the former Boddingtons site.
“Together, we are delivering high quality homes, public spaces and opportunities that will have a lasting positive impact. This is just the beginning of Latimer’s long term commitment to Manchester.”
Stephen Van den Hoek, regional director at Graham, said: “Breaking ground here marks a significant milestone for the project which has been made possible by the close collaboration between Graham, Latimer, the design team and supply chain in achieving the recent successful Gateway 2 application.
“The project will see the delivery of 505 much needed high quality homes, of which the vast majority will be affordable and will act as an enabler for Graham and Latimer to continue delivering on our shared values of sustainable development, supporting local employment, training and skills.”
