Proposals for more than 1,000 new homes in and around the north Manchester area have been recommended to the council for approval.
The first of two schemes forms the latest phase of the £1bn Northern Gateway homebuilding project and will be considered by the city’s planning committee.
Victoria Riverside will be the name given to one of seven new communities proposed by Manchester City Council and the Far East Consortium (FEC) that could take shape within the next 20 years. The development would see three towers built – the tallest having 37 floors, the others being 26 and 18 storeys high – along with townhouses on land in Red Bank near Collyhurst.
The towers will be supported by a brick prodium – which will provide shop fronts and a glazed residential lobby facing the planned Gateway Square – and will mark the entrance into the Northern Gateway.
A total of 634 homes are planned on the two-acre site bordering Bromley Street, Dantzic Street, Gould Street and Bromley. Of these, 611 would be apartments, with 13 townhouses and 10 maisonettes, all of which will offer a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom living spaces.
FEC / Manchester Council / HawkinsBrown
FEC has committed to delivering 20pc affordable housing across the Northern Gateway.
Only 5pc (32 homes) at Victoria Riverside will be classed as affordable though, and will be shared ownership properties.
According to a council report, the scheme received a single letter of support from a resident urging the council to approve the scheme “without delay”. It says: “The tower blocks would impact views into the city, but it is a price worth paying if the 400 metres into the city centre along Dantzic Street is tidied up.
“Dantzic Street is currently in a poorer condition than a war zone or the dark side of the moon.”
NPL / Levitt Bernstein
In Miles Platting, there are also plans to build a new ‘mixed neighbourhood’ on the former site of the Manox chemicals factory.
NPL Group is hoping to secure permission to develop 410 homes on land off Coleshill Street – which it owns alongside Manchester City Council – and there are also plans to provide a nursery, shops, and a community hub with a cafe alongside the Rochdale Canal.
Most of those 296 properties will be built specifically for renting rather than for sale, with 44 homes offered as rent-to-buy, and a further 34 available for social rent.
There will also be 36 homes that can be bought through shared ownership.
Documents submitted with the planning application for the above read: “The proposed layout creates a safe environment through the provision of a legible and well-overlooked street network with residential front doors facing onto the street.
“This encourages walking and cycling, and therefore, social interaction between neighbours.
“The design of the new homes and streets is drawn from the existing local context to create a cohesive neighbourhood that fits well into the existing community.”
Collyhurst Regeneration
When it comes to current residents’ comments, some residents have already objected to the loss of open land south of Coleshill Street – which is commonly used by the public – but it’s expected that more than 500 new trees would be planted in and around the site.
There are also claims that there is a covenant on the land too.
According to one resident, the number of homes being proposed is “far too large”, while another raised concerns about contaminated land being redeveloped.
Despite the objections received, Manchester City Council planning officers have recommended that the planning committee approve the application when they meet this week on Thursday 24th September.
You can find more information via the Northern Gateway website here.
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Pep Guardiola hints at when Manchester City fans can expect to see their latest arrival
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given supporters a rough timeline as to when they can expect to see their new signing, or at least their latest arrival, make his first appearance.
The Blues wrapped up the January transfer window with four major signings: their new attacking number seven, Omar Marmoush (who has already bagged a hattrick on his home debut) promising defensive duo, Abdukodir Khusanov and Brazilian Vitor Reis, as well as their ‘mini-Rodri’, Nico Gonzalez.
However, the club has had another late arrival who was technically signed back at the start of last year but who has spent for the last 12 months or so loaned back to his previous parent club, River Plate in Argentina, waiting to make the move over to the Etihad Stadium – and now he’s here in Manchester.
Speaking on his touchdown in 0161, Pep said Claudio Echeverri won’t be thrown into first-team action straight away but did give a rough estimate as to when City fans could expect him to get involved. You can see him discussing the integration plan in his post-match press conference following the Spurs win.
The mention was only brief but there’s still plenty of reason for Man City fans to be excited by the late January signing.
“Yeah, he [Claudio Echeverri] is going to start to train and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the [Club] World Cup and as soon as possible [that] he arrives he can adapt quick for the future.”
As mentioned, the 19-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder from Resistencia officially put pen to paper with CFG back in January 2024 and was quickly dubbed ‘the next Messi’.
Now, although the football world is often quick to jump the gun with these things and he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be last to be slapped with this premature title, he’s done more to back up these claims since then than he has rubbish them.
Starring at the 2025 Under-20 South American Championships, netting six goals in nine games to finish the tournament as the second highest scorer thanks to notable braces against Brazil and Uruguay as the young Argentine’s finished as runners up.
He also notched 48 senior appearances for River Plate thus far, netting four goals and grabbing eight assists in that time, not to mention having already captained his national team at the 2023 Under 17s World Cup, where he scored another five.
Safe to say there’s plenty of talent to be tapped in this lad.
Once again, Echeverri won’t go straight into the senior set-up for a little while yet, barring a major injury crisis, but he’ll be a more than exciting addition to the City Football Academy and for future first-team lineups for years to come.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be included in an FA Cup matchday squad? Nevertheless, you can expect him to not just come of the bench but hopefully show what he can do at the Club World Cup this summer.
City‘s first fixture as reigning champions of the competition will be against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June 2025.
You can watch Echeverri’s first full interview as a Man City player down below:
The new Man City signing is excited to be finally be part of the club 13 months on from agreeing his contract.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
Emily Sergeant -
21st September 2020 
