Manchester City Council has outlined a vision which aims to transform Manchester into a ‘world class’ city by the year 2020. The plan is to instigate a future in which the city will have significant economical and cultural clout, not just in Britain, but throughout Europe and across the globe.
To achieve this, Manchester needs to develop an infrastructure which is capable of attracting multinational businesses through transport links. Be it rail, road or air.
Us Mancunians who’ve grown up in this city are all too aware of the past of the city and our hugely influential position at the forefront of the industrial revolution. We all know about the city’s radical history, with the birth of socialism, the start of modern computing, and the introduction of early american dance and techno music to Britain.
But it’s time to push things forward.
Looking forward, with one eye on the past
There is no doubting that as people, we are a forward thinking bunch; whilst going about our day to day business amongst the monuments of our industrial past. A city which was founded in the 1st century now stands on the cusp of something great. Manchester and the North West is destined to experience much more with the plans laid out by local business and Government organisations, especially when you factor in the five visions we have covered in this blog.
Innovation and change is something which we looked at throughout our recent report Manchester: Our Future. This is something we are hugely excited by at Neil Walker Digital Group.
We are a digitally minded company, so a lot of our thoughts are focused heavily within our sector. But these areas can only flourish with an ecosystem which supports this evolution. We have therefore gone forward and researched six visions for the future of business in Manchester.
We have looked at which areas are set to go through times of prosperity over the coming 20 years, including the Manchester Airport Master Plan and the introduction of the HS2 high speed rail network, amongst others:
Our first choice is a story which is already well underway, but is only really just beginning:
1. MediaCityUK
Like I said in the opening paragraphs of this blog, this city is steeped in industrial history. If you take yourself down through Old Trafford, past a global sporting icon and to the basins of the Manchester Ship Canal (opened in 1894), you’ll find yourself amongst the expansive development that is MediaCityUK. The redeveloped waterfront which opened in 2011 and has been completely transformed; it is now a mecca for media outfits.
The dockyards of Salford Quays closed in 1982, but like a phoenix the area has risen again. The 200-acre project has been developed by Peel Media, with the main tenants being a cluster of media companies including the BBC, ITV Granada. When you add to this the amount of residential properties, the Imperial War Museum, The Lowry Centre and the University of Salford, you become aware of the excitement and future prospects surrounding this area.
There are a number of buildings within the locale which are tailor made for media businesses:
- Dock10
- Greenhouse
- The Landing
- Orange Tower / Blue Tower / White Tower
- The Victoria
- The Alexandra
- Quay West
- The Pie Factory
Looking to to the future, it’s plain to see that these are exciting times. There are currently many proposals for businesses to move into the area and fantastic stories which underline the potential of the region:
- Dock10 joins Sohonet Media Network
- Nine new tenants move into MediaCity UK Greenhouse building
- Professional Game Match Officials into move into Dock 10
- The BBC announces the movement of 120 future media jobs to Salford
There is a mixture of startups and companies that are relocating to MediaCityUK which include media output specialists, web developers and sports management companies. Digital and creative industries are currently going through a boom and MediaCityUK has gained huge momentum in recent years.
Things look incredibly promising for Manchester and the North West when you read this press release from MediaCityUK themselves. The Peel Holdings Ocean Gateway development is looking to bring over £50 billion of investment over coming 50 years to the Manchester Ship Canal / River Mersey corridor between Manchester and Liverpool.
2. Manchester Airport Master Plan
The Manchester Airport Master plan looks forward to 2030 and asks how aviation can benefit the Manchester economy, as well as the local region’s prosperity and growth. The £650 million initiative was unveiled in 2012 and is set to create 21,000 new jobs in a well-connected, and business orientated environment.
Businesses will have great access to a local and global marketplace at the 150 acre Airport City, which is close to the Airport itself. Manchester Airports Group is hoping to attract global businesses to work within Airport City, with the project looking to pit Manchester against other cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, Dusseldorf and London.
There will be two zones to the plan:
- Zone One – 1.85 sq ft of hotels, offices, retail and advanced manufacturing space.
- Zone Two – Aimed at freight and logistics, located next to the existing cargo centre, by junction six of the M56.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council has said:
“Airport City will fill the gap in the market that currently exists for a high quality and well-connected environment for businesses that need access to a British and to a global environment.”
Manchester is extremely well placed to build upon the established academic, technological, innovative business, communications infrastructure, and the vision for the future is to bring the world to Manchester, but as covered before, there are plenty of other cities trying to do the same.
3. Corridor Manchester
Corridor Manchester brings together Manchester City Council, The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The plan of this partnership is to bring further economic growth to the area known as ‘The Corridor’ which runs south of St Peters Square, along Oxford Road down to Whitworth Park.
55,000 people now work along the Corridor, with the aim to have a workforce of 77,000 by 2020, generating £4.7 billion GVA (Gross Value Added) in the area and wider city. Those who’re involved with The Corridor have very handily outlined the areas which they are targeting and how the city will benefit.
- Creation of a sense of place – inspiring boldness, originality, invention and knowledge
- Transport – The promotion of green travel planning
- Environment and Structure – The transformation of the physical environment and infrastructure
- Research and innovation – Create an internationally known area within life sciences, healthcare, creative and digital industries and medical devices
- Employment, business and skills – Develop a place of employment, skills training and education of all levels.
By 2020, the idea is to transform the area, as well as assisting with the economic recovery through business and education partnerships. All will work together to achieve this ‘ambitious vision within a challenging climate’.
4. NOMA
The skyline of Manchester has seen a new addition recently. One Angel Square, the first development in a joint venture from Hermes and the Co-operative Group, is going to bring a ‘new neighborhood’ to the city. The £800 million regeneration in central Manchester has been touted as ‘socially responsible’ and looks to create a district comprised of 4m sq ft of office, retail, residential and leisure space.
NOMA will feature a number of social and environmental innovations:
- Generation of its own power, with renewable energy resources created through its own smart grid
- Integration into the existing transport network
- Continue Manchester’s tradition of global innovation
- Promote skills and training at all levels
The large corporate office, retail, residential and leisure spaces will be available for an expanse of SME’s over the next fifteen years, unifying an area of central Manchester which is in a great need of regeneration.
5. HS2
The HS2 network, which is due to be built by 2033, will link Manchester to London via Birmingham and will enter the city through a 7.5 mile tunnel. The tunnel will run under the city from Ardwick to Manchester Airport and when construction is complete, journey times between Manchester and Birmingham will be cut by 41 minutes.
Hs2 is more than just a high speed rail link. The benefits associated with connecting the North with the South and the rest of Europe are huge. The Chief executive of the HS2 project Alison Munro has said that it will be “truly beneficial to Manchester and the wider region”.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer was equally optimistic:
“This is about changing the economic geography of this country, making sure the North and the Midlands benefit” – George Osborne
5 visions for the future of business in Manchester
The further integration of Manchester through the development of the high speed Hs2 rail network and the Manchester Airport Master Plan can only be positive steps for Manchester. With NOMA, the Corridor and MediaCityUK bringing business, jobs and prosperity to the region up to 2020 and beyond.
The city is now firmly looking forward. With the visions laid out by business leaders and the proposed investment, Manchester should and will reinvent itself again.
Where we were once known for the factories which formed an industrial landscape, a true modern city will take its place.
We’re watching this space, are you?