The corner of UK city that was England's 'deadliest slum' - now getting £4bn glow up

It was historically part of a sprawling Victorian slum once described by philosopher Friedrich Engels as "the vilest and most dangerous slum" of the Industrial Revolution. But it is now the focus of a major regeneration project, which is part of the wider £4bn initiative with the help of top Danish architects.

During the mid-19th century, Red Bank and the adjacent Angel Meadow in Manchester were notorious for extreme poverty, overcrowding and appalling living conditions. Friedrich Engels, in his 1845 book The Condition of the Working Class in England, documented the squalor, describing "chaotic groups of little, one-storied, one-roomed cabins" and cellars that flooded with the nearby River Irk.

Death rates were among the worst in England, primarily due to diseases like typhus and cholera. The area later became a vibrant, working-class hub for Jewish and then Ukrainian immigrant communities, though the housing quality remained poor until the final slum clearances in the 1960s.

Now Red Bank has become a key part of the Victoria North regeneration, one of the largest projects of its kind in the UK, with an estimated worth of over £4 billion. The project is a joint venture between Manchester City Council and the developer Far East Consortium (FEC).

Key aspects of the regeneration include 5000 new homes over the over the next 15 years, with a mix of property types and tenures.

The project is centred on creating a "City River Park" with 46 hectares of new and improved parkland along the River Irk, promoting biodiversity and a "Wild Urbanism" concept that merges nature and urban living.

The plans include new commercial units, a primary school, a health centre and community facilities. A "Climate Loop" is planned to provide safe and inviting walking and cycling routes, aiming for a low-carbon neighbourhood.

Recent plans for the area include the development of high-rise residential towers (up to 43 storeys) with modern amenities, transforming the area into a new, well-connected urban neighbourhood.

The regeneration is transforming the historically neglected brownfield land into a modern, sustainable and well-connected extension of the city centre.

Developers are bringing in Danish architects to consult on the Riverside project, so could Red Bank become Little Copenhagen?

The iconic River Irk will also play a significant role in the new era of Red Bank, according to secretmanchester.com, as it has for many centuries. Eventually, the 'Riverside' development will clean up the bank and the water itself, allowing a luxurious promenade and viewing platform to come to fruition. FEC will collaborate with Copenhagen-based architects Briq throughout the project, who will provide expertise on urban living, evoking a clean, Scandinavian style of living.

In the coming years, not only will Red Bank be a great place to live but it will also be bursting with open green spaces, an elevated New York style high-line, parks and the river, all on your doorstep.

Guernsey-based developer LWP Redbank has also unveiled plans for two residential towers rising to 43 and 18 storeys on a key site at Cheetham Hill. The 50-54 Red Bank scheme will deliver 509 flats, with shared amenities, landscaped outdoor areas and sweeping city views.

At street level, the plans include commercial units to complement the thriving Red Bank arches and more than 2,000 sq m of public space linking to the historic viaduct, according to constructionenquirer.com.

Two planning applications will be submitted, one for the towers and surrounding public realm, and another to progress wider access improvements to the viaduct.

A spokesperson for the project team said: "These proposals bring forward much-needed homes, alongside new public space and active ground floor uses that will add to the life of the area.

"Red Bank is fast becoming a creative and vibrant part of Manchester, and our vision is to build on this character to create a distinctive new neighbourhood."

Right now, it's already home to some of Manchester's most popular places to eat, drink and socialise, including nationally recognised Michelin Guide-worthy The Spärrows and local favourite Half a Dozen Other.

A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: "The project secured £51.6m from the government's Housing Infrastructure Fund for this work. It will bring over 25 acres of brownfield land back into use."