Northmoor

The Northmoor area, in south east Manchester, was an area of approximately 1400 two bed terraced houses built around 1919. Over the past 20 years the area has experienced declining population, high levels of unemployment, increasing crime rates and fear of crime, a poor physical environment and declining local services. The area’s unpopularity has led to a failing housing market, leading to problems of empty properties and negative equity for many homeowners.

In 1997 a steering group was set up to investigate ways to reverse the area’s decline. The group brought together a partnership including Manchester City Council, the Manchester Methodist Housing Association (MMHA), local residents and businesses, the police, design professionals and many others.

Northmoor lay within the Stockport Road Corridor Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) scheme, and was declared a Renewal Area in 1998. Plans to regenerate the area and achieve a more sustainable community included increasing the choice of housing sizes to relieve overcrowding and improving the quality and perceived safety of the general locality by improvements to the network of streets and back alleys.

Key to the proposals was the creation of identity and a sense of place using the Home zone principles. This has been successful particularly along the green route. Plans focused on a defining a village centre while delivering a clear hierarchy of streets and an overall improvement to the area’s legibility and wider connectivity. The presence of a significant number of smaller private landlords has made ongoing management of the quality of the external environment for the area difficult.

Further information:-

http://www.greatplaces.org.uk/
http://www.northmoorcommunity.org/
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/
http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/northmoor.htm
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/Report10.pdf