Wythenshawe on the up
Nigel Wilson, Group Chief Executive, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group said;
“Over the past few days there has been quite a lot of media coverage and positive publicity about the transformation of Wythenshawe and the regeneration and community investment in the area.
We are delighted that it dispels some of the old clichés and myths about Wythenshawe and focuses on the positive side of our community. However, it is unfortunate that the article in the Daily Mail focused on bygone times that do not reflect the vibrant, dynamic community of Wythenshawe today.
A key element of the transformation and regeneration of the area began with the creation of Willow Park Housing Trust, one of the first housing trusts to be created to take on council homes from Manchester City Council in 1999. This was followed in 2006 by the creation of Parkway Green Housing Trust. Between them they invested over £364m improving Wythenshawe and in 2013 the two housing trusts came together to form Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, providing 14,000 homes to over 20,000 tenants and creating a unified structure for social housing in the area.
Since the Group was formed just over 2 years ago, we have completed over 135 new homes and invested over £13m in the area. We have a new build programme of 496 homes between 2015 and 2018 and we are pleased that, through our ‘Garden City Homes’, we are able to provide a range of options so that people can choose whether to rent, buy or purchase their home through shared-ownership.
In addition to providing homes and neighbourhood services, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group is also proud of the work it does to invest in the community. Through a wide range of partnerships we have developed a strong track record of community investment – from managing local community centres, providing training and employment opportunities to being a co-sponsor of the Manchester Enterprise Academy – one of the most improved schools in Manchester, which is now in the top 5% of similar schools nationally.
This is an area that as coverage has demonstrated is very much on the up. The new Metrolink and the recent announcement of a £1bn development of Airport City and Medipark are just some of the significant investment and projects in the pipeline.
Wythenshawe Community Housing Group also has a wide range of ambitious programmes for the area. We will continue to build on our strong track record and vision ‘to create a community where people choose to live and work, having pride in their homes and services’.
