The regeneration of Manchester was already underway way before he became mayor. The bomb, the Commonwealth Games and the Leese and Bernstein years. He is being given too much credit but he seems happy to take it, like with the petrol price map.
As for affordable and social housing, how has that actually worked out? Of the circa 18,000 “affordable” homes built across Greater Manchester since 2017 only about 2,400 were for social rent. In the city centre, on Renaker’s latest towers alone, the good old “viability” chestnut was used to let the developer sidestep its affordable housing commitments. It’s a tried and tested loophole for many, many developers.
Where’s the long-term value creation for the region/UK once there are no more cranes on the skyline? These developments are often on council owned land (aka taxpayer owned), funded with government and local grants and loans (aka taxpayers’ money). At best the public gets a bit of interest back for a few years while the developer keeps the building and decades of rent. Manchester Life alone built c.1,500 homes with a big fat ZERO affordable, on council land, and the council reportedly gets NONE of the rental income. Taxpayers provided the land, fronted the money and took the risk. Investors get the return. But don’t worry, we can make up the shortfall with a mansion tax and potentially soon a PPT to go after the people with all that unearned wealth hoarded in their homes. They are the real villains and the reason that there are not enough homes let alone affordable ones. Pensioners and older homeowners, Labour are looking at you…
I have been to Manchester a couple of times this year. Crackadilly Gardens is still Crackadilly Gardens, just with fewer crackheads. It still looks shit.
And don’t get me started on governance. The combined authority under Burnham approved c.£120m of loans (taxpayers’ money) to Renaker and a tribunal found it hadn’t even followed protocol. Their excuse was effectively “we know they’re good for it”. Carillion anyone? It’s no wonder he was so comfortable wading into the Man City scandal. Governance it appears is optional for some.