Pinnacle Group has secured two industry awards for No.1 Ancoats Green, its flagship Manchester development managed via Place By Pinnacle on behalf of This City, Manchester City Council's housing company. At the Northwest Regional Construction Awards, the scheme was named Residential Building of the Year, while This City received Landlord of the Year at the Unlock Net Zero Awards during the Housing 2026 Conference in July 2026. The double win underscores the development's role in addressing urban housing demand through housing company models that blend sustainability with affordability.
Located in the heart of Ancoats, No.1 Ancoats Green comprises 129 low-carbon homes, split between 119 apartments and 10 townhouses. Pinnacle was appointed in 2025, marking the Group's first major housing management contract in Manchester. The development targets Manchester's growing need for high-quality, affordable housing: 30 per cent of the homes are let at Manchester Living Rent levels, ensuring accessibility for a broader demographic across the city. This mixed-tenure approach, combining market-rate and below-market lettings, is increasingly seen as a pragmatic route for local authorities to maintain a stake in housing delivery without relying solely on commercial developers.
What Features Contributed to the Awards?
The Northwest Regional Construction Awards citation highlighted quality, innovation and delivery in the Residential Building of the Year category. While the press release does not itemise specific technical specifications, the scheme's low-carbon design and integration into the Ancoats regeneration zone are key differentiators. Residents benefit from high-specification homes, access to green spaces, and proximity to the Ancoats Mobility Hub, a transport node designed to reduce private car dependence. These elements align with broader sustainability and ESG priorities that are reshaping urban planning in UK cities.
The Unlock Net Zero Landlord of the Year award, conferred on This City, reflects the council's strategic role in commissioning and stewarding the development. For Pinnacle, the recognition validates the Place By Pinnacle operational model, which delivers lettings, tenancy management, resident engagement and maintenance through a dedicated on-site property manager. This wraparound service is pitched at build-to-rent, market-rent and mixed-tenure communities nationwide, offering local authorities and institutional landlords a scalable alternative to traditional housing association management.
How Does Manchester Living Rent Work?
Manchester Living Rent is a below-market rent model designed to cap housing costs relative to local incomes. While the press release does not specify the exact rent formula or thresholds, the principle is consistent with affordable rent mechanisms adopted across English cities: rents are pegged at a level that allows households on median incomes to save for a deposit or avoid excessive rent burden. The allocation of 30 per cent of No.1 Ancoats Green's units to this tenure type represents a tangible affordability obligation, contrasting with purely market-rate schemes where local demand often prices out mid-income earners.
For housing professionals, the Manchester Living Rent component is significant because it demonstrates viable cross-subsidy within a single development. The market-rate apartments underwrite the below-market units, while the council retains asset ownership through This City. This structure mirrors the public-private housing models emerging in Switzerland and Austria, where municipal housing companies balance commercial returns with social objectives.
Implications for Pinnacle Group and Future Projects
Claire Kober, Managing Director for Homes at Pinnacle Group, said: "These award wins are a real testament to the vision behind No.1 Ancoats Green and the strength of the partnership that has brought it to life. We're proud to be supporting a community that's already making such a positive impact." The Manchester contract positions Pinnacle as a credible operator in the local-authority housing space, a segment that has grown rapidly since 2020 as councils seek alternatives to outsourced Arm's Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) and housing associations.
The dual awards also signal investor and industry confidence in mixed-tenure schemes that integrate net-zero ambitions with affordable housing delivery. For developers and housing providers tracking the UK market, No.1 Ancoats Green offers a proof point that low-carbon construction and below-market rents are not mutually exclusive. The scheme was developed as part of Manchester City Council's ambition to deliver high-quality homes that meet the needs of local people and the wider community, a policy framework that is likely to inform future commissions across Greater Manchester.
Context: The Ancoats Regeneration Zone
Ancoats, a former industrial quarter, has undergone substantial regeneration over the past decade. The neighbourhood now combines heritage conversion, new-build residential, and mixed-use schemes. No.1 Ancoats Green sits within this broader transformation, contributing to a sustainable and connected neighbourhood anchored by the Mobility Hub and green infrastructure. The development's proximity to Manchester city centre—less than two kilometres from Piccadilly station—makes it attractive to young professionals and families seeking urban living without central Manchester price premiums.
For housing associations and developers evaluating similar projects, the Ancoats model illustrates how transport connectivity and green amenity can enhance lettability and resident satisfaction, even in historically marginal areas. The award wins validate this approach and may influence future masterplans in other UK cities pursuing brownfield regeneration.
Industry Recognition and What It Means
The Northwest Regional Construction Awards and the Unlock Net Zero Awards are both established industry benchmarks. The former recognises delivery excellence across commercial, residential and infrastructure categories, while the latter focuses on decarbonisation and climate resilience in the built environment. That No.1 Ancoats Green and This City were recognised in both arenas underscores the convergence of construction quality, operational delivery and environmental performance as core selection criteria.
Landlords and asset managers will note that the Landlord of the Year accolade for This City reflects not only the physical asset but also the management and tenant engagement strategies deployed by Pinnacle's Place By Pinnacle operation. Resident feedback, while not detailed in the press release, is typically a component of landlord awards, suggesting that on-site service levels and community building are meeting expectations.
Looking ahead, the awards provide Pinnacle with a credible track record to bid for similar contracts in other English cities where councils are re-entering direct housing provision. For This City and Manchester City Council, the recognition reinforces the strategic rationale for retaining asset ownership and commissioning specialist operators rather than divesting to the private rented sector. The double win is likely to feature in future procurement processes and funding applications, both for Pinnacle and for local authorities benchmarking their own housing companies.
