Greater Manchester supports five new regeneration bodies 2026

Key Points

• Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig supports the creation of Mayoral Development Corporations in several towns.
• These development corporations are supposed to serve as tools of regeneration and development.
• According to reports, some of the locations that will host development corporations are Oldham, Bolton, Middleton, Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge.
• However, the plans are subject to the necessary approval from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
• The development corporation is supposed to be comprised of representatives of Greater Manchester and local councils.
• The plans are anticipated to cover construction of houses and infrastructure including employment opportunities, transport links, town centre regeneration and community facilities.
• In Middleton, the regeneration plans have taken into account the consultation known as “Our Town, Our Future”.
• As per reports, more than 2,000 people participated in the consultation in Middleton.
• An initial project associated with the regeneration plans in Middleton is Warwick Mill.
• These regeneration plans are part of the wider Greater Manchester regeneration strategy using devolved powers.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) September 10, 2026 — Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig has backed proposals to create new Mayoral Development Corporations aimed at accelerating regeneration in Oldham, Bolton, Middleton, Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge, according to LocalGov.

The plans would establish development bodies capable of bringing together the mayoral authority, local councils, public agencies, businesses and community representatives around major regeneration programmes. The proposals are intended to coordinate investment and reduce barriers that can delay the delivery of housing, infrastructure, employment space and public facilities.

LocalGov reported that Craig had thrown her support behind plans covering the named Greater Manchester locations. The proposals still require the relevant formal approvals before the bodies can begin operating with their full intended powers.

The announcement represents an expansion of Greater Manchester’s existing approach to regeneration through mayoral development structures. These organisations are designed to concentrate decision-making and investment around defined areas rather than leaving individual projects to progress separately through different institutions.

Which towns are included in the plans?

The reported plans cover five locations:

• Oldham.
• Bolton.
• Middleton.
• Ashton-under-Lyne.
• Stalybridge.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the proposed corporations would be created through cooperation between Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the relevant local councils. Its report described the plans as a framework for major changes and investment across several of the region’s boroughs.

The exact scope of each body is expected to vary according to local circumstances. A town-centre regeneration programme may require different land, transport and planning priorities from a large mixed-use development or a project involving sporting facilities.

The proposals are therefore not a single construction scheme. They are a set of area-based mechanisms intended to manage development over a longer period and to align public-sector decisions with private investment.

In Oldham, local political leaders have already supported the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation, according to the Manchester Evening News. The proposed body is expected to work with Oldham Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to support further growth in the town centre.

A separate Manchester Evening News report said the Oldham plans could involve an arena and thousands of new homes. However, the newspaper also noted that the proposals remained subject to approval by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

How would the new bodies work?

Mayoral Development Corporations are statutory organisations established to deliver large-scale development within a defined area. Greater Manchester’s own policy material describes them as tools that can combine planning, land and infrastructure functions to speed up regeneration and attract investment.

The organisations can provide a single framework for projects that would otherwise involve several public bodies. Their work may include preparing land, coordinating infrastructure, supporting planning decisions and helping developers bring forward schemes.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has previously described the bodies as part of a wider programme to deliver new homes, jobs, transport links and community assets. The authority has also said that the model is intended to support “good growth” across the region rather than concentrating investment only in Manchester city centre.

The precise powers of each corporation would depend on the designation of its development area and the approval of its strategic plans. Local councils and the combined authority would also need to agree how the organisations are governed and how their priorities are set.

The model does not remove the need for planning procedures or public-sector accountability. Projects would still need to progress through the relevant legal and planning processes, while decisions about land, development and public money would remain subject to scrutiny.

What has been proposed for Middleton?

Middleton has received particular attention because its proposed corporation is being presented as a co-operative regeneration model.

About Manchester reported that residents gathered at Middleton Arena on Monday, 7 September, to hear the results of “Our Town, Our Future”. The initiative was described as a major public discussion about the town’s future and the largest such engagement exercise held in Middleton.

The Manchester Evening News reported that more than 2,000 people had contributed their views to the process. Rose Marley, co-chair of the Middleton Co-operative Mayoral Development Corporation, said the organisation would carry the public mandate into decisions about housing, transport, green spaces and public facilities.

Warwick Mill has been identified as an early project connected with the proposed Middleton regeneration programme. The Manchester Evening News reported that Middleton was expected to benefit from investment over the coming years and that the council planned to acquire Warwick Mill as part of a wider regeneration effort.

The building’s future is significant because the Middleton corporation is intended to connect individual projects with a broader plan for the town. Under the reported approach, the future of the mill would be considered alongside transport, housing, open space and community facilities rather than as an isolated property decision.

The Middleton plans also reflect a wider attempt to involve residents in regeneration before major decisions are finalised. Public consultation cannot guarantee that every proposal will be accepted, but it can help identify local priorities and provide a basis for judging whether future development responds to community concerns.

Why are the plans being introduced?

Greater Manchester has been using devolution to give regional leaders more responsibility for economic development, housing, transport and regeneration. The creation of Mayoral Development Corporations is part of that approach.

The authority’s wider strategy has focused on directing investment towards several growth locations across the ten boroughs. Earlier plans referred to an ambition to attract billions of pounds of investment and deliver tens of thousands of homes through coordinated development.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has also approved funding for a series of priority projects involving town centres, housing, employment and infrastructure. The projects have included locations such as Oldham, Stockport, Ashton-under-Lyne, Wigan, Prestwich and Salford Crescent.

The rationale behind the new bodies is that fragmented ownership, complex planning arrangements and a lack of infrastructure can prevent otherwise viable development from progressing. A dedicated corporation can help bring landowners and public authorities around the same table and provide a long-term structure for delivery.

The approach is also intended to give investors greater certainty. Businesses and developers are more likely to commit funding when they can see a clear development area, an agreed strategy and a public body responsible for coordinating the programme.

What are local residents likely to see?

Residents in the affected areas may see changes in several parts of their towns if the proposed corporations are approved and their programmes move forward.

Potential areas of activity include:

• New housing, including homes described by local leaders as affordable.
• Improved town centres and public spaces.
• New employment and commercial areas.
• Better transport connections.
• Investment in community buildings and public services.
• The reuse of vacant or underused land and buildings.
• New cultural, leisure or sporting facilities.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the Oldham plans could include an arena and thousands of homes. The Greater Manchester mayor’s wider regeneration programme has also identified new homes, employment and transport as central objectives.

However, the creation of a development corporation does not mean that all proposed projects will be built immediately. Large regeneration schemes generally require land agreements, funding packages, planning decisions, infrastructure work and construction phases. The final number of homes, jobs or facilities would depend on approved plans and available investment.

Residents are also likely to scrutinise issues such as affordability, traffic, pressure on public services, construction disruption and the protection of existing communities. The success of the proposals will therefore depend not only on investment but also on how openly decisions are made and how local benefits are measured.

What happens next?

The proposals must progress through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s approval arrangements. Reports indicate that final endorsement is expected to be considered later in September.

Before a corporation becomes fully operational, authorities would normally need to confirm its boundary, governance arrangements, strategic objectives and delivery programme. Consultation and formal designation processes may also be required, depending on the proposal.

The next stage will therefore be important for determining whether the bodies receive the powers and resources needed to deliver their stated aims. It will also clarify which projects are prioritised, how they will be funded and how residents will be involved.

The mayor’s backing gives the plans political support, but it is not the same as final delivery approval. The practical effect will depend on decisions by the combined authority, local councils, landowners, investors and communities.

What is the background to the development?

Greater Manchester has developed a regional model of regeneration in which the mayor and the combined authority work with individual boroughs on large-scale schemes. The model has been used to support town-centre renewal, housing development, employment growth and infrastructure investment.

Former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham previously promoted Mayoral Development Corporations and Mayoral Development Zones as tools for unlocking regeneration. The authority said that these structures could bring together partners, acquire or prepare land and help remove barriers to development.

The Old Trafford regeneration proposal is one of the most prominent examples of the model. Greater Manchester previously said that the scheme could become one of the largest sports-led regeneration projects since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Stockport has also been used as an example of how large-scale town-centre regeneration can be delivered. The BBC reported that the Greater Manchester mayor wanted the regeneration of Stockport town centre to provide a model that could be replicated in other towns across the region.

The current proposals extend that approach to additional locations. They reflect a shift towards giving towns greater control over regeneration priorities while retaining coordination at regional level.

Middleton’s co-operative proposal adds a further element by placing public engagement at the centre of the development model. Its focus on residents’ views, public land and community facilities distinguishes it from a structure based solely on attracting private investment.

How could this affect Greater Manchester residents?

The new Greater Manchester regeneration bodies could affect residents through changes to housing, employment, transport and public spaces over the medium and long term.

If the proposals secure funding and planning approval, residents could benefit from new homes, improved town centres, better use of vacant buildings and additional employment opportunities. The bodies may also make it easier to coordinate transport and infrastructure projects that cross local authority boundaries.

The impact will not be uniform. Areas receiving major construction may experience disruption, increased traffic and pressure on existing services before the benefits become visible. Rising land values and new development could also create concerns about affordability and whether existing residents can remain in their communities.

The key issue for residents will be whether the corporations deliver locally agreed priorities rather than focusing only on headline investment figures. Public consultation, transparent targets and clear reporting on homes, jobs, transport and community facilities will help determine whether the programmes meet their stated purpose.

For people in Oldham, Bolton, Middleton, Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge, the immediate development is the proposed creation and approval of the bodies. The larger effects will depend on the decisions taken after that process, including the projects selected, the funding secured and the extent to which residents’ views influence delivery.