If we want people to stay here we need affordable homes

COUNCILLOR'S MISSION AS HE HEADS PLANNING COMMITTEE

- JOSEPH TIMAN

A CITY centre councillor is set to be the youngest person to run the town hall's planning committee, overseeing major decisions that will shape Manchester's future.

Labour's Jon-Connor Lyons, 26, will have the final say on what gets built across the city.

First elected in 2018, Jon-Connor, from Newton Heath, says he and other more recent arrivals on the council have successfully pushed the town hall to take this issue more seriously. Now, in his new role, he wants to hold developers to account too.

The Piccadilly ward councillor, who describes himself politically as 'soft left, has been selected as the new chair of the planning committee which means he will run the meetings where the biggest development decisions are made and, for the most contentious ones, when the votes are tied, he will have the final say.

He intends to use his influence to push for more affordable and social housing at every opportunity. He wants to see more housing of all kinds built across the city, as well as more modern offices with co-working spaces.