Jeremy Corbyn has called for social housing to be included in new Manchester city centre developments or risk the city ‘going the same way’ as London.

Speaking at the launch of Labour ’s local election campaign in Trafford , the party’s leader told the M.E.N. that affordable homes should ideally be built into new city centre projects rather than built further afield instead, in comments that appear to contradict Manchester council ’s own housing policy.

He welcomed the town hall’s decision yesterday to demand more transparency from developers, however, amid fears that firms have been ducking their obligations on cheaper housing by failing to pay ‘section 106’ payments for that purpose.

Asked whether Labour members locally - particularly on the left - were right to raise concerns about the booming city centre housing market, he said: “Yes, I do. And I think the Labour group decision and the council’s decision that there should be an opening up of the contracts and what’s going on is important, very important indeed.

“Because what we’ve seen in London - and I know it in my own constituency - is essentially a social cleansing of central London, central areas of London, by developers.

“So it’s important that councils make sure that developments include social housing onto them and that section 106 payments are also used to enhance the local community.”

(Image: Joel Goodman)

Manchester’s city centre housing market has been the subject of growing scrutiny lately, partly due to the high volume of - in some cases upmarket - apartments being built without an affordable housing element.

The town hall believes it makes no sense to use city centre sites themselves for affordable homes due to high land values, arguing it makes more sense to build them in greater quantities in areas outside - such as Ardwick, Beswick or Collyhurst - using the ‘106’ financial contributions provided by city centre schemes.

“That’s a subject of debate and I believe it’s much better to build social housing into developments so we have a more balanced community,” said Mr Corbyn.

(Image: Eddie Garvey)

“If ‘elsewhere’ is well outside the city centre, what you end up doing is being part of a social change of the city centre. If it’s nearby, that’s a different issue altogether.

“So my view is you have to ensure that all of our city centres do have high volumes of social housing there, as well as regulated rent and affordable rented also, because otherwise you end up with a labour market problem, as London now has.

“The London Chamber of Commerce is now strongly in favour of building social housing. Manchester, if a grip isn’t taken on this, will go the same way.”

Ultimately a Labour government is needed so that councils can borrow against assets and revenue to build social housing, he added.

Mr Corbyn had chosen Trafford - Greater Manchester’s only Tory borough - to launch Labour’s election campaign ahead of May’s local polls.

(Image: Eddie Garvey)

He told a packed audience of party faithful at Stretford Sports Village, just down the road from Trafford town hall itself, that Labour councils had been acting as ‘shields’ from national Conservative cuts, dealing with a crisis in social care, soaring homelessness and an inability to build social housing.

He declined to predict a Labour victory of the Tories in Trafford, however, where the Conservatives have been in control since 2004.

(Image: PA)

“We are fighting a strong campaign in Trafford on their record here of privatisations, of the failure to pay the living wage,” he said.

“We are campaigning, I’m making no predictions but we are fighting very hard.”

Asked if he was optimistic of a victory, he said: “I’m always optimistic - my life is one of optimism., In this kind of work you have to be optimistic.”

After the launch Mr Corbyn visited an English class at next-door Stretford high school, where he spoke to both children and teachers.