Manchester’s claim to be outpacing the capital on new housing has prompted a sharp rebuttal from the Mayor of London, as local and national housing policy sit centre-stage in the months after a significant political reshuffle.
Figures under contention
Manchester City Council published figures saying 4,766 homes were completed in the city in 2025/26 and suggested that this was more than the whole of Greater London, which the council said delivered 4,261 homes in the same period.
That assertion was challenged by a spokesperson for the Mayor of London, who pointed to what they described as official government statistics showing 32,949 new homes in London in 2025/26 and 3,653 in Manchester City Council’s area for the same year.
| Area | Homes completed (2025/26) |
|---|---|
| Manchester City Council (as claimed by council) | 4,766 |
| Greater London (as claimed by council) | 4,261 |
| London (government statistics, as cited by Mayor's office) | 32,949 |
| Manchester City Council (government statistics, as cited by Mayor's office) | 3,653 |
Politics, devolution and local targets
The disagreement arrives as the new national administration — with former Greater Manchester Mayor at its centre according to recent reports — sets housing among its priorities. Angela Rayner has returned as Housing Secretary in Andy Burnham’s Cabinet and has indicated the Government may struggle to hit Labour’s national target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029, while ruling out rent controls.
Locally, Manchester councillors are pressing ahead with ambitious plans. Council documents and spokespeople have said they want to expand the boundary of the city centre and aim to deliver 36,000 homes by 2032, describing this as a step-change in local delivery.
What the dispute means for Manchester residents
At stake is more than headline figures. The row highlights:
- how different data sources and definitions (city council boundary v wider metropolitan area) can produce divergent conclusions;
- the political importance of housing numbers as evidence of local delivery and momentum;
- the practical challenge of translating ambitious targets into completed, affordable homes on the ground.
“Since becoming Mayor, Sadiq has made affordable housing a top priority and has delivered significant progress,”
— a spokesperson for the Mayor of London, responding to Manchester’s figures.
Manchester City Council has used its published completions to argue it is accelerating delivery locally; the Mayor’s office has countered using government statistics to place the city behind London for that financial year. The differences underline the care needed when comparing housing output: whether one counts all parts of Greater London or strictly the administrative footprint of Manchester City Council materially affects the totals.
For residents, the immediate concern remains tangible: will promised new homes arrive where they are needed, at prices families can afford, and with the infrastructure to support expanding neighbourhoods? Manchester’s stated target of 36,000 homes by 2032 will require sustained sites, investment and co-ordination between council planners, housing providers and central Government to move from aspiration to construction and completion.
The public exchange also feeds into broader debates over devolution and local power. Manchester’s leaders have long argued for greater control over housing and planning levers; their insistence on strong local delivery is part of that wider case. As the national administration’s early days unfold, how ministers, the city council and regional bodies agree definitions, share data and support large-scale building programmes will be closely watched by households and developers alike.
