Contractor and developer McGoff Group is targeting a major expansion into the private rented sector.

Executive Director Dave McGoff said that the firm wanted to expand its development of PRS schemes into Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham.

The group launched its first PRS development this year through its development arm Villafont Homes: the 368-apartment £75m Downtown scheme in Manchester city centre (pictured).

McGoff explained: “The plan is to build a Downtown in each of the Northern Powerhouse cities.”

He added that the group will “very quickly move on to contracting the other sites that we’re looking at” once the Downtown project gets underway early next year.

McGoff Group will act as landowner, developer and main contractor on the Downtown project, and has already appointed Capita to provide structural engineering and Clancy to deliver service engineering on the scheme.

The group will also fully manage the development once it has been finished, to provide services including a business centre, a gym, facilities management services and concierge.

“Rather than building something to sell off, our interest is the business that runs the buildings,” Mr McGoff said.

“It’s about having a business stream that feeds off something we’ve created.”

The group has also launched a further development business, Applebarn Nurseries.

The new development arm will acquire and develop sites for childcare projects following a similar model of the group’s New Care company, which will develop and operate extra care facilities throughout the country.

Applebarn Nurseries has already gained planning consent for its first scheme in Broadheath, south Manchester, and is looking to expand the model to further sites.

Meanwhile, Forrest has been selected to deliver a £20m PRS scheme in Greater Manchester for developer X1.

Work will include the construction of a 19-storey tower, called X1 The Gateway, in Salford Quays.