Autumn Budget 2025 - Growth Opportunities in Northern Regeneration Zones

Northern regeneration zones bring together three of the most powerful drivers of long-term capital growth:

• Sustained government investment
• Targeted infrastructure upgrades
• Government commitment to ‘levelling up’

With major funding streams now being channelled into strategic city regions and brownfield sites across the North, these areas are expected to see an influx of new homes, transport links, and employment hubs in the next 5-10 years.

For investors, this matters because regeneration very rarely moves in a straight line. Instead, value can build in stages as planning permission, transport projects, and large-scale developments pick up pace. Areas designated for focused regeneration often benefit from improved amenities and rising demand well before schemes are fully completed, which can help support both rental performance and capital appreciation.

What also makes the North particularly attractive to investors is its affordability and comparatively low entry prices versus southern markets. This key combination of affordability today and policy-backed potential tomorrow is exactly what many long-term investors look for when readying their portfolio for the next market cycle.

Greater Manchester is undoubtedly one of the clearest beneficiaries of the government’s post-Budget push towards devolved growth and regeneration, with a share of the new integrated settlements and growth funds sitting alongside a separate £1bn Good Growth programme recently announced by local leaders. The first £400m wave of that plan alone is expected to help deliver almost 3,000 new homes, more than 22,000 jobs, and around 2m sq. ft of employment space across Greater Manchester.

For investors, the key attraction here is the combination of an already deep rental market with a significant pipeline of regeneration and transport projects across central Manchester, Salford, and the surrounding towns and boroughs – many of which are being directly supported by the Good Growth scheme, too.

Against that backdrop, several specific zones within Greater Manchester now stand out as focal points for potential future growth, supported by long-term funding commitments and local development frameworks.

Manchester City Centre & Victoria North

The Victoria North programme and adjacent city-centre district are set to deliver tens of thousands of new homes over the coming years, alongside new public spaces, community facilities, and improved links into the city’s core commercial area. This large-scale brownfield regeneration aims to effectively extend the city centre northwards, creating new neighbourhoods that could benefit from strong rental demand and capital appreciation as the area matures.

Salford Quays & the Irwell Corridor

Around Salford Quays, MediaCityUK, and the River Irwell, continued investment in mixed-use waterfront schemes, cultural venues, and employment space is helping to consolidate the area as a key digital and media hub. Residential developments close to tram stops and waterside amenities are likely to remain a core focus for both residents and investors as regeneration projects progress further.

Old Trafford

Old Trafford is set to benefit from the proposed new £2bn 100,000-seater Manchester United stadium and the wider ‘masterplan’ surrounding the football club’s historic home. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has labelled the Old Trafford plans as “the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012,” completely reshaping the area into a vibrant year-round destination beyond just matchdays.

Stockport

The regeneration of Stockport town centre is transforming underused retail and brownfield land into new residential neighbourhoods and workspaces surrounding the main railway station. Stockport’s strategic hub status is also set to be reinforced further by plans to extend the Manchester Metrolink network to the town, which, if delivered as planned, could further improve connectivity into the regional centre and give the town more long-term appeal among commuters.

West Yorkshire, and Leeds in particular, is firmly in the spotlight following the 2025 Autumn Budget, with long-term devolution deals, business rates retention, and targeted housing and infrastructure funding all reinforcing the region’s role as a key economic engine for the North.

For investors, the appeal of Leeds and the wider West Yorkshire region lies in its combination of strong fundamentals and clear growth plans. The region offers a mix of established city rental markets, emerging regeneration districts, and value-led satellite towns, many of which are set to benefit from widespread upgrades to transport, public realm, and employment space over the next five years and beyond.

Several distinct urban quarters and growth corridors, in particular, stand out as key areas to watch following the Budget, with new plans in place to reshape the landscape in this part of the North.

Leeds City Centre

Leeds city centre continues to see significant investment in high-quality office space, residential developments, and mixed-use schemes around key hubs like the financial district, Leeds Station, and the South Bank. This densification of jobs, amenities, and high-spec housing is helping reinforce the city’s position as a prime regional business centre with a growing rental demand.

Leeds South Bank & Riverside

Just to the south of the city centre, the Leeds South Bank and riverside districts form one of the largest regeneration zones in the country, with plans in place for thousands of new homes, public spaces, and expanded cultural and educational facilities. As disused industrial land along the River Aire is repurposed into modern urban neighbourhoods, large-scale residential schemes in this area are likely to benefit from both improved amenities and growing rental demand over the next five years and beyond.

The South Bank was treated as a flagship regeneration area in the Autumn Budget, linked to the new Leeds City Fund and wider growth strategy. This fund aims to retain business growth in Leeds city centre for the next 25 years, with the South Bank highlighted as a leading candidate for substantial new housing and infrastructure as part of this.

Bradford

The city of Bradford is undergoing a multi-year transformation around its core, including new residential, public, and commercial developments clustered near the two main city centre train stations. As infrastructure and public realm improvements continue to take hold, Bradford’s relative affordability and improving connectivity to Leeds and Manchester could position it as an attractive medium to long-term bet for value-conscious investors.

Connected West Yorkshire Towns

Across Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, and other well-connected West Yorkshire towns, ongoing regeneration of town centres and former industrial sites is gradually reshaping local housing markets. Projects focusing on modernising retail hubs and introducing new residential blocks close to train stations are set to further strengthen commuter links into Leeds, solidifying future demand for quality rental stock.

The North East is moving further up the list as one of the UK’s key regions for long-term regeneration, with fresh backing for housing delivery, skills, and new infrastructure across centres such as Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham, and the Tees Valley.

A strong foundation in sectors like advanced manufacturing, ports, clean energy, and logistics adds to the North East’s appeal, helping to support a steady base of employment to underpin the housing market.

Newcastle & Gateshead

A mix of projects are reshaping the central urban areas around Newcastle and Gateshead, from riverside sites to land near to major rail and local Metro hubs. Mixed-use schemes, public real upgrades, and new office and cultural space are all supporting growing demand for modern apartments and amenities.

Tees Valley

In the Tees Valley, ongoing efforts to reimagine town centres and waterfront locations are particularly visible in and around areas like Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough. Stockton-on-Tees, in particular, has been highlighted as an emerging hotspot, where comparatively low values combined with regeneration and improving amenities give investors an opportunity to access early-stage growth at attractive price points.

Sunderland

Sunderland and other nearby coastal communities are also benefitting from investment linked to the automotive, offshore wind, and wider clean-energy industries, coupled with city centre and riverside renewal similar to that seen in Newcastle, putting Sunderland in a prime spot to attract demand in the coming years.