By Joseph Timan

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Plans to build 15,000 homes in a long-neglected corner of Manchester can now happen ‘much quicker’ as Labour announces the major project will be one of its first ‘new towns’ . Work on the Victoria North development, which sits between the city centre and Collyhurst, is already under way as part of a 20-year plan for seven neighbourhoods. The government has now announced that the scheme has been identified as one of the first 12 ‘new towns’ that it promised to build at the last general election. Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Sunday (September 29), Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the move would ‘restore the dream of home ownership’. He said: “We’ll build homes people feel proud to live in. Communities with schools, hospitals, good public transport, green spaces on the doorstep, and the investment that brings good, well paid, unionised jobs to the area.” The Manchester Evening News understands the type of support that each location will receive is yet to be decided. Sign up to the MEN Politics newsletter Due North here The announcement comes seven months after the government put £1.5m towards plans for a new tram stop north of Victoria at Sandhills to serve the major development which saw its first council homes completed this month . Speaking to the M.E.N. following the announcement, Manchester council leader Bev Craig said that the government’s support means the plans to build 15,000 homes over 20 years can now happen ‘much quicker’. She said: “It’s one of the government’s most ambitious programmes and Victoria North is right at the heart of that. “We think this completely changes how government can think in the future around urban transformation. I think from the conversations we’ve had, this is about having new powers, it will be about getting more money and additional resource that comes with it. “But it will also be about mandating other parts of government to work with us as part of the regeneration. We’ve talked at length about the challenges we see in getting new schools open, seeing new GP surgeries. It forces all of those government departments to come to the table. “There’s obviously a lot of work to be done in terms of how much money it gets, what it means in terms of practical things and also what vehicle we set up. “We’re so far ahead. Our pitch to government has been really simple. They’re looking for ideas to deliver. “Victoria North was a 15,000 homes plans but over 20 years. “With government support and backing we can accelerate that, we can go much quicker, and we’re confident that we can do it within two Parliaments.”