Plymouth Grove is a 1970s council estate, a mile from Manchester city centre. It was poorly designed and needed a great deal of investment; many properties were empty and crime levels were high. But its location meant that it had a great deal of potential.

Grove Vilage is a massive £100 million Private Finance Initiative project to transform an inner city council estate in Ardwick, Manchester into a modern ‘urban village’. Already the reputation of the area has changed so much that from having more than 200 empty properties a few years ago, there is now a seven-year waitings list for homes.

A new housing regeneration consortium was formed through the PFI. Manchester City Council ill pay the consortium an agreed fee over years, while the consortium borrowed money needed to completely overhaul the estate.

The scheme allows huge amounts of money to be invested quickly; in only three years, the estate has been redesigned, 660 homes refurbished and another 400 demolished, to be replaced by new properties.

The aim is to change the mix of tenures, attracting both owner-occupiers and tenants; tackle crime and the fear of crime; modernise homes in need of repair; and create new opportunities for local residents.

The area’s unpopularity has been reversed: there’s a seven-year waiting list for homes, in three years crime has dropped 36% and property values have risen.

There has been close liaison with tenants throughout the refurbishment programme; new activities have been introduced, including youth projects, while the whole estate will benefit from a low-cost wireless broadband service.

Learning points: investment in the community is vital. Improved homes are only part of the equation; communication is essential; when a new organisation is created from scratch, it’s important to have a full team of senior staff in place as early as possible.

The community

A Special Purpose Vehicle (consortium) was set up to manage the project including:

Grove Village Ltd
Becki Dixon (Public Relations Consultant), tel. 0161 976 1414

//2003

case

Urban Policy

Housing, Social inclusion & integration, Urban environment