Dear 

Work continues to move forward with the plans for the first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care scheme in the UK at Russell Rd. The scheme will offer high quality, affordable, low carbon housing for social rent and all partners are working towards the pre-planning works as quickly as possible. Preparations are underway to begin site investigations which will help to inform the design.

Despite some slight delays we envisage that we will be able to share our proposed plans with you in the next few weeks and are continuing to work towards submitting our planning proposals before Christmas – following community consultation.

The co-production with the Community Steering Group (CSG) for the proposed scheme has continued positively over the summer with three co-production design meetings since July.

At these meetings, members of the CSG have met with the design team (Great Places, Triangle Architects, Rowlinson Construction and Simon Fenton Partnerships), Manchester City Council and LGBT Foundation to co-produce the top-level design of the scheme ahead of the public planning consultation.
Meetings to date have included making decisions about flat layouts and design features (bathroom access, kitchen access, bedroom layouts) and internal communal spaces (public and customer use, access arrangements, facilities for customers and the wider community and access to outdoor spaces).
These discussions have built on the expertise in the room of designing, building, and managing Extra Care schemes as well as looking at the specific needs of future customers through lived experience.

As part of the co-production, the CSG has also learned about the planning process and the conservation area in Whalley Range to ensure that the building and its purpose enhance the local area.
In September, members of the design team attended a meeting of the Whalley Range Community forum to talk about the planned scheme and were met with a very positive reception from members of the Whalley Range community.

Co-production is not just about the design of the building and will also look at how services will be designed and managed when the scheme opens, and co-production activities with the CSG and wider community are planned throughout the whole process and beyond the doors opening.

To support the co-production process and share news about the proposed scheme, colleagues from Manchester City Council and Great Places joined members of the CSG and LGBT Foundation at Celebrate Festival, Pride on the Range, Manchester Pride, Sparkle Weekend and Chorlton Pride over the summer, and will continue to have a presence at local events as the scheme develops.

In addition, the project team also provided updates at a recent Whalley Range Ward Co-ordination Meeting. The plans were met positively by the group who also shared really useful local knowledge with the design team. Regular progress updates will also be given at future meetings. 

The involvement of the CSG is invaluable in ensuring that this first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care scheme will meet the needs of the community when it opens and into the future.
You can hear from members of the CSG in the first of a series of videos we’ve made to document the development of the scheme.

If you’re interested in becoming involved in this exciting project, the Community Steering Group is still looking to expand its membership and particularly wants to expand the diversity and inclusion of the group.

For more information on how you can get involved contact Adam Preston from LGBT Foundation at adam.preston@lgbt.foundation