UPDATE: |The future of a Manchester estate they used to call ’embarrassing’ News

It’s in the shadow of the Etihad – but residents have had little to cheer in the last few years

Scores of homes are set for east Manchester on an estate in the shadow of the Etihad locals once called ‘embarrassing’.

The planning application for 82 homes on the site of a former Beswick boozer is a ‘significant step forward’ for the Grey Mare Lane estate, which residents believe has long been maligned.

They slammed it as ‘embarrassing’ in 2023, when they were left in limbo over a stalled regeneration project.

The plan to retrofit both social and privately-owned homes was never completed, with only social properties getting the upgrade, and a wider project to redevelop other parts of the estate hit the buffers when housing association One Manchester was deemed ‘not up to the task’ of delivering it.

But the 1967 estate’s future seems to look brighter after Manchester council drew up a new masterplan to redevelop the area last September.

Gavin White, executive councillor for housing, said the ‘Grey Mare Lane estate is a key regeneration programme for us’.

He added: “This planning application represents the first site of a transformational programme of housing and estate investment in the coming years that will see at least 1,000 new homes, including a large number of social, council and affordable homes and new green spaces.

“We have been working closely with the local community around the plans to invest in their community both through formal consultation and a local community steering group, and this is just the start for Grey Mare Lane. Sites will come online quickly in the next few months, and we will begin to realise the potential of the neighbourhood.”

The planning proposal, developed by housing association Great Places, represents the first new homes in the masterplan.

Some 82 social flats eyed for the site of the former Manchester Bar pub, on the corner of Grey Mare Lane and Ashton New Road, which was demolished in 2020. There will be a communal garden, balconies, and ‘pedestrian link’ to Newcombe Close.

Helen Spencer, executive director of growth at developer Great Places, said: “This project represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing high-quality, affordable homes for the community in east Manchester.

“We are dedicated to transforming the Grey Mare Lane estate into a vibrant and sustainable community. We look forward to seeing these plans come to fruition and making a positive impact on the lives of local residents.”