Dear Richard,

We are writing to you following notification that the council are preparing to grant a 250 year lease on council land to facilitate a development on Shudehill.

Piccadilly Councillors opposed this development, the “Shudehill Shard”, consistently since our election.

Over the summer, a new, commercial version of the plan was passed by the chief executive under delegated powers. We objected to this process at the time as we feel that responsibility should and must sit with elected members who are accountable to the people of Manchester.

Key to our objections were that the development had a negative effect on the surrounding environment, while also making no contribution to solving the housing crisis which continues in our city.

The council will realise a sizeable capital receipt from this land deal, considerably more than otherwise given the novel height of the building. We therefore believe that these monies must be used to directly counter the harm of the development. We believe in the importance of place and community, and meeting problems where they are.

As elected representatives, we are therefore calling on this capital receipt to be expressly and specifically earmarked for the construction of homes for social rent within the boundaries of Piccadilly Ward. This will contribute to the council’s varied efforts to address the housing crisis, while also ensuring the opportunities being created in the urban core are accessible to Mancunians who otherwise could not afford to live here.

We look forward to your swift agreement so we can work together on pooling the proceeds of this and other developments to share the proceeds of growth and open our city centre to people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Yours in comradeship,

Cllr Jon Connor Lyons

Cllr Adele Douglas

Cllr Sam Wheeler