And the council is asking for your say on what to spend the money on.
Manchester Council is on the financial up. (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester council is asking people how to spend a pot of up to £80m to improve four neighbourhoods ‘crying out for investment’ – as it sets out plans on how it intends to spend another £17m on vital services.
It comes as the town hall’s budget tops £1bn for the first time. Bosses have launched a survey asking Mancs how the ‘Pride of Place’ fund should be used.
The government scheme has awarded up to £20m to Clayton Vale; south Gorton; south Benchill and central Wythenshawe; and south Harpurhey and Monsall over a decade.
Councillors previously said ‘every pound of this funding will be guided by the voices of local residents’.
The money could be used for anything from building infrastructure; building a new town square; improving public safety; or funding cultural and arts initiatives.
The Harpurhey Together Parade last year.(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
It comeson top of existing council pledges to spend £60m in Gorton town centre and a £25m ‘kickstarter ‘for new housing and infrastructure on Moston Lane.
Council leader Bev Craig said: “Feeling proud of your street and neighbourhood is vital and that’s why we welcome this additional funding, building on what we as a Council have already committed.
“What makes this funding different is that we want residents to tell us how it should be spent to improve their areas – led by communities, for communities. This is a huge opportunity for people to shape the places where they live and to make a lasting impact which could last generations. “
The survey comes as the council welcomes 23 per cent more funding than expected for the 2026/27 budget. The council’s revenue budget is set to top £1bn for the first time ever, after receiving one of the highest cash boosts in the country from Government.
The unexpected rise is due to the ‘Fair Funding review’, which links council funding more directly to local spending needs. It means instead of closing a £19m budget black hole, Manchester can now spend its surplus.
Manchester Council Leader Bev Craig(Image: ABNM Photography)
Proposals have been set out for how the council will invest £17m extra to improve Manchester’s neighbourhoods, including:
- £5.13m more on street cleaning
- £1m to crack down on fly-tipping and littering
- More than £1.7m to for maintaining public spaces
- An extra £3.2m on the Council’s Neighbourhood Infrastructure Renewal Fund to improve the look and feel of communities
- £1.1m to improve road and pavement surfaces, bringing the total highways budget to £20.7m
- £1.47m on a range of schemes to improve access to, and involvement in, sports and physical activity for Manchester people such as plans to expand free swimming for under 16s and over 60s
- £350,000 a year for community events, plus an extra £250k to help groups organise their own local events
- A £500,000 fund to help local high streets