Manchester’s political leaders are being urged to place strict controls on the number of co-living schemes approved in the city until a proper policy can be developed for the housing model.

A report to a meeting of the city council’s executive this week argues that purpose-built and professionally managed shared-housing developments could be detrimental to the city’s housing market and the authority’s finances – and questions the demand for them.

Strategic director for growth and development Eddie Smith said there were solid grounds for supporting co-living developments in only “a very limited number of places, in restricted amounts, within the city centre” and where developers could robustly evidence need.

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