Victoria North 2026: St Catherine's Wood Opens as Manchester's £4bn Regeneration Accelerates
By Ethan Wu, Senior Marketing Executive
28 July 2026 · 7 min read
On 24 July 2026, St Catherine's Wood opened to the public, marking the first completed green space in Victoria North's planned 113 acres of parkland. It is a small but tangible signal that Manchester's largest regeneration programme is moving from planning documents into physical reality.
Key Takeaways
- Park Opens: St Catherine's Wood, a 2.7-acre woodland park in Red Bank, became the first phase of Victoria North's City River Park on 24 July 2026.
- Full Scale: Victoria North spans 155 hectares across seven neighbourhoods, with plans for 15,000 new homes and an expected population increase of 40,000 over 20 years.
- £86m Boost: The Greater Manchester Good Growth Fund has allocated £86m for affordable housing and infrastructure, including funding toward the new Sandhills Metrolink stop.
- Market Context: Manchester's population is approaching 635,000, house prices grew 4.9% in the year to June 2026, and housing delivery continues to fall short of the 5,000-per-year target.
Jump to Section
St Catherine's Wood: The First Green Space Arrives
The 2.7-acre park sits at the heart of the Red Bank neighbourhood, alongside the River Irk. What was once a neglected patch of woodland, cut off from the city for decades, has been restored under a "Wild Urbanism" design approach that keeps the existing tree canopy while adding new paths, seating, and play areas.
Three endangered Manchester Poplar trees stand within the park, a species closely linked to the industrial heritage of the area. The site also has a connection to L.S. Lowry, who painted scenes along this stretch of the Irk in the early 20th century.
St Catherine's Wood is the first phase of City River Park, a planned 113-acre network of interconnected green spaces that will eventually run through the centre of Victoria North. For context, 113 acres is roughly the size of 85 football pitches.
Image source: Manchester City Council
New residents have already started moving into the Red Bank area, with detailed planning consent granted for 1,550 homes and outline consent for a further 3,250. According to Manchester City Council, proposals for more than 5,000 homes surround the park.
Q: Can you visit St Catherine's Wood now?
Yes. The park opened to the public on 24 July 2026 and is freely accessible. It sits between Red Bank and the River Irk, north of Manchester city centre.
Victoria North: The Full Regeneration Plan
Victoria North is a joint venture between Manchester City Council and Far East Consortium (FEC), covering 155 hectares of north Manchester. The programme targets 15,000 new homes across seven neighbourhoods over 20 years, with a gross development value of approximately £4bn.
The seven neighbourhoods are Red Bank, Collyhurst Village, South Collyhurst, New Town (Collyhurst), New Cross, Irk Valley, and Vauxhall. Each has its own character and timeline, but the thread connecting them is a commitment to mixed-tenure housing, green space, and improved transport links.
The regeneration also sits within a broader Manchester investment landscape that aims to deliver tens of thousands of new homes across the city. Victoria North is the single largest component of that ambition.
Q: Who is behind Victoria North?
Victoria North is a joint venture between Manchester City Council and Far East Consortium (FEC), a Hong Kong-listed developer. The partnership was formalised in 2017 and covers seven neighbourhoods north of the city centre.
Sign up for our Weekly Mails:
Want early access to new Manchester investment opportunities before they hit the open market? Get the insider edge with our weekly investor briefing, covering price movements, new launches, and market intelligence across Manchester and beyond.
Neighbourhood Progress Tracker
Victoria Riverside was the first neighbourhood to complete. Its three towers, containing 634 homes, finished in 2025 and are now occupied. This was the proof-of-concept for the wider programme.
Red Bank is where the most visible activity is happening now. Planning permission exists for 4,800 homes across the neighbourhood. St Catherine's Wood sits at its centre, and the first residential blocks are already welcoming tenants.
Collyhurst Village is delivering 244 new homes, a mix of council housing and affordable rent. This neighbourhood has direct support from central government housing funds.
The remaining neighbourhoods, South Collyhurst, New Town, New Cross, and Irk Valley, are at earlier planning stages. However, the £86m Good Growth Fund allocation is designed to accelerate delivery across multiple phases.
Q: How many homes have been completed in Victoria North so far?
Victoria Riverside delivered 634 completed homes across three towers, with residents already living there. Red Bank and Collyhurst Village are in active construction, adding several hundred more in the near term.
£86m Good Growth Fund and Transport Investment
In 2026, the Greater Manchester Good Growth Fund confirmed an £86m allocation for Manchester, targeting affordable housing and regeneration infrastructure. Of this, £26m supports 423 homes in Wythenshawe (including 233 for social rent), while the remainder funds infrastructure across north Manchester.
A separate £60m has been allocated toward a new Metrolink stop at Sandhills, which will serve Collyhurst and the eastern neighbourhoods of Victoria North. An initial £1.5m has already been secured for feasibility studies on the wider Metrolink expansion.
Transport connectivity is one of the factors that historically suppressed property values in north Manchester. The Sandhills stop would place Victoria North within minutes of Manchester Victoria station, linking residents directly to the wider Metrolink network and the city centre.
Manchester's Growth Story: Why This Matters
The investment in Victoria North does not exist in isolation. Manchester's population has grown from approximately 503,000 in 2011 to an estimated 635,000 in 2026, adding roughly 7,000 new residents each year. The city needs approximately 5,000 new homes annually to meet demand, but actual delivery has averaged well below that figure.
House prices in Manchester grew 4.9% in the year to June 2026, outpacing the national average. Rental demand remains strong, with a persistent shortfall of purpose-built accommodation putting continued upward pressure on rents.
The opening of No 10 North, the government's northern office in Manchester, reinforces the city's political weight. Combined with the £7bn Trafford Wharfside regeneration and ongoing investment across the city region, Victoria North is one piece of a transformation happening at an unprecedented scale. We are excited to see how Manchester will be reshaped in the near future.
Q: Is Manchester still a growing property market?
Yes. Manchester house prices grew 4.9% year-on-year to June 2026, population growth adds roughly 7,000 residents per year, and housing delivery consistently falls short of the 5,000-per-year target. These fundamentals support continued price and rental growth.
Understnad Manchester better:
Manchester is not just one market. From the Northern Quarter to Salford Quays, from Ancoats to Trafford, each area has its own investment profile, rental yields, and growth trajectory. Our comprehensive area guide breaks down the six major areas every property investor should know, with current pricing, tenant demand data, and regeneration timelines.
The Bottom Line
Victoria North is no longer a masterplan on paper. With St Catherine's Wood open, Victoria Riverside completed, and £86m in new funding confirmed, the programme has entered its delivery phase. For anyone watching Manchester's property market, north Manchester is a postcode to track closely.
Related Reading
The bigger picture matters. Three related pieces:
- Andy Burnham's Housing Agenda: Why Property Investors Should Watch No 10 North - How Manchester's new political status reshapes housing policy.
- Manchester Good Growth Fund: £1bn Impact on Housing and Infrastructure - How £86m in funding accelerates regeneration across north Manchester.
- Manchester Property Market 2026: Prices, Rental Yields and Forecast - The full data picture for Manchester this year.
Fresh UK property market updates for investors, regeneration, yields, tax rules and monthly rental data, all in one hub. Read the latest here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Considering Victoria North or north Manchester more broadly? These are the questions buyers and researchers ask most about the regeneration, its timeline, and what it means for the local property market. If yours is not covered below, the Rothmore team is always happy to help.
St Catherine's Wood is a 2.7-acre public park in the Red Bank neighbourhood of Victoria North, Manchester. It opened on 24 July 2026 as the first completed green space in the planned 113-acre City River Park network. The park features restored woodland, walking paths, and heritage trees including three endangered Manchester Poplars.
Ethan Wu
Senior Marketing Executive
Ethan is a Marketing Executive at Rothmore Property, bringing 4 years of experience spanning above-the-line marketing strategy, graphic design, and data-driven campaign analysis. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Ethan oversees the full end-to-end marketing function at Rothmore — from market research and strategic planning through to creative production, campaign execution and performance reporting.
His analytical approach and design capability ensure every campaign is both visually compelling and grounded in measurable results, helping Rothmore maintain a consistent and impactful presence across all channels.
How can Rothmore Property help?
Whether you're an investor or a homeowner, Rothmore Property provides expert guidance, market insights, and tailored solutions to support your property purchase.
