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Monitor Place North West 17 Aug 2026

Stockport, Lancaster, Chorley fail Housing Delivery Test

Government Housing Delivery Test results show that Stockport, Lancaster and Chorley have fallen below required delivery levels, triggering stronger planning consequences including a presumption in favour of approval for qualifying housing schemes, action plans and a 20% housing land supply buffer. Manchester, Trafford, Liverpool and Bolton also underperformed against housing need and will face additional planning requirements, while other North West councils met the test.

Housing Market Planning Regulation

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Monitor Place North West 18 Aug 2026

Manchester launches local plan consultation

Manchester City Council has opened consultation on its draft local plan for 2022 to 2039 ahead of submission for examination. The plan sets out growth locations, expanded city centre boundaries, affordable housing targets, purpose-built student accommodation policy, and strategic flood risk considerations.

Planning Housing Market Environment & Flood Risk

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Monitor Place North West 18 Aug 2026

Relentless scales down Ancoats skyscraper vision

Revised proposals for the Stocktons build-to-rent scheme in Ancoats reduce the height of the taller tower to 45 storeys, bringing the scheme closer to the area’s strategic regeneration framework and addressing planning committee concerns. The redesign also includes a modest increase in affordable provision, with 50 homes proposed at Manchester Living Rent level, and a slight reduction in total unit numbers to 723.

Planning Housing Market Valuation

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Monitor Place North West 14 Aug 2026

Scoping opinion in for 1,550-home Simister Bowlee

Russell LDP and Harworth Group have progressed plans for Simister Bowlee, a 242-acre residential allocation in Greater Manchester, by submitting an EIA Scoping Opinion to inform a future planning application. The scheme could deliver up to 1,550 homes alongside a primary school, local centre, transport improvements, sustainable drainage, and open space, with construction potentially starting in 2029.

Planning Housing Market Environment & Flood Risk

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Monitor Place North West 14 Aug 2026

GM Mayor pushes for second look at warehouse planning policy

Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig has called for lessons to be learned from the approval of PLP’s Astley Park industrial scheme in Wigan, following strong local opposition over its proximity to homes. An independent audit found Wigan Council followed national planning procedure, but said the developer’s pre-application consultation was wholly inadequate.

Planning Housing Market Regulation

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Monitor Place North West 12 Aug 2026

Grey Belt pitch made as 180-home Woodhouses scheme submitted

An outline planning application has been submitted for 180 homes at North Lumb Farm near Woodhouses, Oldham, with the applicant arguing the site qualifies as Grey Belt and should be approved in light of local housing need and a shortfall in deliverable supply. The scheme includes 63 affordable homes and areas of green/open space, and is being promoted as compliant with the NPPF Golden Rules.

Planning Housing Market Regulation

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Monitor Place North West 13 Aug 2026

GM Mayor targets 10,000 new social homes by May 2028

Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig has set out a plan to deliver 10,000 new social homes by May 2028, supported by a new Public Sector Land Bank and funding expected through Homes England’s Social and Affordable Housing Programme. The announcement was made alongside a visit to a recently completed EPC A social housing scheme in Ashton-under-Lyne, which Craig cited as a model for energy-efficient, brownfield-led delivery.

Housing Market Regulation Energy & Retrofit

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Monitor Place North West 12 Aug 2026

Cheshire Fresh puts in for 2,100 Crewe homes

Cheshire Fresh has submitted an outline planning application for Weavers Green, a proposed 280-acre development north-west of Crewe that could deliver up to 2,100 homes alongside employment space, local facilities and land for a primary school. The site is currently countryside and not allocated for development, but the application is framed against Cheshire East Council’s inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.

Planning Housing Market Regulation

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Monitor Place North West 11 Aug 2026

Cheshire East’s refusal of 200 residences overturned

The Planning Inspectorate has overturned Cheshire East Council’s refusal of Bloor Homes’ outline application for up to 200 homes off Prestbury Road in Macclesfield. The inspector gave significant weight to the council’s shortfall in five-year housing land supply, accepted the site as Grey Belt, and found only minor landscape harm with no highway safety objection upheld.

Planning Housing Market Regulation

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Monitor Place North West 10 Aug 2026

X1’s Media City vehicle owes £20m to investors

X1 Media City Limited, the special purpose vehicle behind a four-tower scheme at Salford Quays, has entered administration with one tower still unbuilt. The administrators report says the company owed more than £20m to investors who had paid deposits, alongside £2.4m to contractor Vermont Construction, and the site is now being marketed for sale to recover funds for creditors.

Property Investment Housing Market Regulation

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Monitor Place North West 10 Aug 2026

Bentry hopes for Q4 start on revived Liverpool scheme

Bentry Capital is aiming to begin construction on the first phase of its revived Abbey Row scheme in Liverpool in Q4 2026, subject to final Gateway 2 approval from the Building Safety Regulator. The project, previously stalled under earlier ownership, has been redesigned and reduced from 419 to 367 apartments, with the first phase set to deliver 241 homes.

Building Safety Regulation Housing Market

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Monitor Place North West 7 Aug 2026

Campaigners force Henley’s 78-storey Salford skyscraper back before committee

Henley Investment Management’s proposed 78-storey redevelopment at Regent Retail Park in Salford is set to return to the planning committee after a procedural complaint raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest in the original approval process. The scheme, which includes 3,300 homes and 660 social rent units, remains under consideration while the council addresses the issue.

Planning Regulation Housing Market

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