Breaking ground on our new supported housing for people with dementia

The first spade has hit the ground to mark the start of work on Irwell Valley Homes’ new supported housing for people living with dementia in Manchester.

Irwell Valley Homes celebrated the sod-cutting event with partners from Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Homes England to mark the start of work at Jurby Avenue in Blackley.

The extra-care development – which will offer specialist care and support alongside self-contained apartments which maximise and maintain independence – will meet an urgent need in the city.

The 16 new social rent homes will be built to the latest good practice in dementia design and are being delivered as part of Manchester’s Enabling Independence Strategy.

The development is also part of the Project 500 initiative, which sees Manchester City Council work with housing associations to turn smaller, harder to develop pockets of brownfield land back into use as affordable housing.

The total investment is nearly £6m, with £2m provided by Homes Homes England, along with £695k from Greater Manchester Combined Authority and £386k from Manchester City Council.

Irwell Valley Homes is well-placed to deliver this important new development, using knowledge and expertise from their extra care dementia scheme, Shore Green in Wythenshawe.

Opened in 2003, Shore Green was a trailblazer scheme in the North-West – paving the way forward for the provision of dementia care services within the social housing sector in the region.

Sasha Deepwell, Irwell Valley Homes Chief Executive, said:

“Breaking ground at Jurby Avenue is a wonderful way to start 2026. We are extremely grateful to all our partners for their support in reaching this milestone and very excited for the difference this new development will make to the local community in Blackley. Supported housing provides a vital service to the people in our society who need the most support, at the same time as making valuable savings to the public purse. We know from Shore Green the impact these homes will have – enabling local people with dementia to live well, with independence, dignity and choice.”

Councillor Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development, said:

“This is another great example of how Project 500 is building the homes our communities need, genuinely affordable – capped at social rent – with specialist care onsite for people living with dementia. This is the power of our housing partnerships in action, and this development was also part funded through our Affordable Housing Fund, which means we have been able to use section 106 funding from major development in the city to help build these much needed affordable homes.”