Practical proposed steps for Trafford.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Build on Stretford’s renewed shopping streets
The first phase of King Street renewal is already being used.
Proposed response: Keep entrances and pedestrian routes clear during later phases.
Evidence
Who could lead: Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Keep entrances and pedestrian routes clear during later phases.
- Over the next few years
Support independent traders to use new public spaces.
- Over the longer term
Track occupancy and repeat local visits.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Stretford King Street renewal: First phase in use; wider programme continues.
Measure: Occupied units and regular footfall.
Trade-off: Events and outdoor trading can reduce clear walking space.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Stretford King Street renewal →
Proposal
Leisure plans still need to become usable facilities
Sale and Stretford were at design and feasibility stage.
Proposed response: Publish the existing service gaps and options.
Evidence
Who could lead: Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Publish the existing service gaps and options.
- Over the next few years
Agree a phased works plan that preserves reasonable access.
- Over the longer term
Check participation and affordable entry after renewal.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Sale and Stretford leisure renewal: Design and feasibility.
Measure: Facilities available during works and after reopening.
Trade-off: Better facilities can cost more to operate.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Sale and Stretford leisure renewal →
Proposal
Tie Old Trafford investment to everyday local needs
The development body creates a route to coordinate a wider neighbourhood plan.
Proposed response: Publish housing, transport and public-space priorities separately from stadium plans.
Evidence
Who could lead: Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Publish housing, transport and public-space priorities separately from stadium plans.
- Over the next few years
Secure local access, training and affordable housing commitments.
- Over the longer term
Measure delivered benefits for existing residents.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Old Trafford area regeneration: Development body launched; delivery not established.
Measure: Completed local facilities and affordable homes.
Trade-off: Large development can increase land values and displacement pressure.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Old Trafford area regeneration →
Proposal
Large plans depend on more than a launch
The Old Trafford announcement establishes an organisation, not completed infrastructure or secured outcomes.
Proposed response: Show which parts have funding and permission.
Evidence
Who could lead: Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Show which parts have funding and permission.
- Over the next few years
Stage commitments around confirmed transport and utility capacity.
- Over the longer term
Review cost and resident benefits before further phases.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Old Trafford area regeneration: Development body launched; delivery not established.
Measure: Funded and permitted phases against actual delivery.
Trade-off: Phasing may slow delivery but limits premature commitments.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Old Trafford area regeneration →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,369 a month (August 2026) in Trafford council area. This is £90 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.5% in Davyhulme to 32.2% in Gorse Hill & Cornbrook — a gap of 24.7 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Gorse Hill & Cornbrook and Davyhulme; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,369 a month (August 2026) in Trafford council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.5% in Davyhulme to 32.2% in Gorse Hill & Cornbrook — a gap of 24.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Old Trafford area regeneration →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
17.6% of people in Trafford council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.5% in Gorse Hill & Cornbrook to 24.7% in Hale Barns & Timperley South — a gap of 16.2 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Hale Barns & Timperley South and Gorse Hill & Cornbrook; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 17.6% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.5% in Gorse Hill & Cornbrook to 24.7% in Hale Barns & Timperley South — a gap of 16.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
4.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Trafford council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.1% in Hale to 8.5% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 6.4 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Bucklow-St Martins and Hale; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 4.6% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.1% in Hale to 8.5% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 6.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
43% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Trafford council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7% in Hale to 22.5% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 15.5 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Bucklow-St Martins and Hale; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 43% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 7% in Hale to 22.5% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 15.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Stretford King Street renewal →
Old Trafford area regeneration →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Stretford King Street renewal →
Sale and Stretford leisure renewal →
Old Trafford area regeneration →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.5% in Hale to 27.9% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 21.4 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Bucklow-St Martins, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.5% in Hale to 27.9% in Bucklow-St Martins — a gap of 21.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 21 of 21 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Stretford King Street renewal →
Sale and Stretford leisure renewal →
Old Trafford area regeneration →
