Residents are moving into new affordable homes at a £20m development with a ground-floor medical 
centre in West Didsbury, South Manchester.
Southway Housing Trust’s recently completed Two Didsbury Point – on the site of the former Withington Community Hospital – provides 30 apartments for social rent and 46 for shared ownership in the heart of an affluent urban village.
The one and two-bedroom homes are designed for modern living. Priority for the social rent homes will be given to existing Southway tenants looking to move to a smaller home – freeing up larger homes for families in need. The rented homes are also suitable for adult-only households, as well as those with children aged 14 and over who are in housing need and registered on Manchester’s social housing register.
The development supports aspiring homeowners too, offering homes for people looking to get onto the property ladder through shared ownership sold by Southway’s sales and management partner Gecko Homes.
All the homes at Two Didsbury Point are energy efficient to help keep residents’ bills low and have been built across two connected buildings with an outdoor communal terrace and green spaces, as well as resident car parking and bicycle storage.
Residents can also enjoy living just six minutes from West Didsbury centre, close to shops, local green spaces and public transport links.
To help improve NHS services in the community, Didsbury Medical Centre has moved from its old Didsbury village base into a new, larger 1,194 square metre facility on the ground floor of the development. The new centre offers a range of services including testing, minor surgery, family planning, physiotherapy, mental health support, diabetic specialist care, and research facilities.
New residents, partners, funders and other stakeholders gathered at Two Didsbury Point to celebrate the official opening.
Alexandra Abbas, one of the new residents, said:
“I love Manchester and Didsbury feels like a really good place to live, with easy connections to the airport and city centre. I think it’s an area that will continue to develop over the next few years. A new-build with parking was also important to me as I travel for work and need that flexibility. I’m really looking forward to moving into a brand-new home and starting the next chapter. Shared ownership is what made this possible for me, and I think it’s a great way to help more people get onto the property ladder and into well-designed new homes in good locations.”
Another resident said:
“I chose Gecko and Southway because of their excellent reputation and the quality of their developments. Shared ownership has given me the opportunity to own a home in Didsbury, an area I have lived in and loved all my life, while remaining close to my parents. It has made homeownership affordable for me in a location that means so much.
"Didsbury Point is beautiful and the area is fantastic. I am incredibly excited to move into my new home. Throughout the process, the Southway and Gecko teams have been kind, supportive, and helpful, making the journey much easier and more enjoyable.”
Jonathan Turner, Southway’s Assistant Director of Development, said:
“Two Didsbury Point is a hugely important project for us because we’ve achieved a scheme that provides 
100% affordable housing with social rent in Didsbury, which is an affluent area and where house prices are high.
“We’re also proud to be working with partners to provide a new medical centre for the community to improve health services in the area.”
Two Didsbury Point was designed by Buttress Architects and built by Bridgestone Construction, with the medical centre being delivered through a partnership between Southway and Citybranch Healthcare.
The scheme received £6 million in grants, including support from Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.
The shared ownership homes help buyers onto the property ladder with a much smaller upfront cost. Buyers can purchase an initial share from as little as 10% of the home’s market value and pay rent on the rest to Southway.
Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington, said:
“This is a great scheme that has created new affordable homes in an area where they’re in short supply. It’s very welcome that both social rent and shared ownership homes are being provided at the development, and the medical centre will really help the local community.”
Councillor Gavin White, Manchester City Council Executive Member for Housing and Development, said:
“Two Didsbury Point is an important development in this community that has delivered more social rent and affordable housing for local residents. It's projects like this that offer real housing choice for local people. Creating more one and two-bed options in Didsbury provides opportunities for people in larger family homes to rightsize, should they want to, into smaller properties that better meet their needs. Combined with the new medical centre, this is a terrific scheme for this neighbourhood in West Didsbury.”
Dr Zoe Hunter, GP at the new Didsbury Medical Centre, said:
“We’re delighted to be able to welcome patients to the new medical centre. This will be a great boost for NHS services in this area, as we’ll be able to increase the number of services we can provide to local people right on their doorstep.”
Adam Gross, Director at Citybranch Healthcare, added: 
“We're proud to have partnered with Southway to deliver these much-needed affordable homes, and with the NHS to bring the new, purpose-built medical centre to the heart of West Didsbury. Two Didsbury Point shows what can be achieved when development and community needs are planned together from the ground up.”
Dr Leigh Latham, Interim Deputy Place Lead (Manchester), NHS Greater Manchester, added:
"Two Didsbury Point demonstrates how the NHS can work effectively with local organisations to pool our strengths and ensure our healthcare facilities are ready for the future.
"We are confident this development will expand access to a broad range of GP led services for the community."
Find out more a shared ownership home at Two Didsbury Point at www.geckohomes.co.uk/find-a-home/two-didsbury-point-didsbury/ or contact Gecko Homes on 0330 995 1333 or sales@geckohomes.co.uk.
Ward councillor Debbie Hilal (pictured above right) visited Two Didsbury Point prior to the official opening to take a look around.
