Work has officially started on the £110m regeneration of Boddingtons site to deliver 505 new homes for Manchester City centre.
Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group held a groundbreaking ceremony on the former Boddingtons Brewery site on Great Ducie Street in central Manchester, as key partners gathered to celebrate the start of construction on the major £110 million regeneration project.
GRAHAM, alongside Richard Cook, Chief Development Officer and Clare Miller, CEO at Clarion Housing Group were joined by Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, and delegates from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Homes England, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, marking a historic moment for a site that has stood derelict for more than a decade.
Once complete, the Brewery Gardens development will deliver 505 new homes, with 60% affordable housing, which is an unprecedented level for Manchester city centre, including properties for social rent, affordable rent, and shared ownership. The scheme will also feature flexible commercial spaces, landscaped public realm, and generous indoor and outdoor amenities for residents.
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.
Richard Cook, Chief Development Officer at Clarion Housing Group, 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. This is a once in a generation opportunity to bring affordable housing back to the heart of Manchester, creating a vibrant community on a site that has been dormant for far too long. Together, we are delivering high-quality homes, public spaces and opportunities that will have a lasting positive impact.”
Councillor 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.”
Stephen Van den Hoek, Regional Director at GRAHAM, said, “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Latimer Developments on the regeneration of the Boddingtons site. 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 & Latimer to continue delivering on our shared values of sustainable development, supporting local employment, training and skills”.
