Central Salford #4 by 3Fox

Urban regeneration magazine issue#04 2010

ford

sal Riverside revival Relocation: good business move 11

Infrastructure: ready for the upturn 42

Sustainability: leading greener schemes 47

Make it Your MediaCityUK for education, transport, leisure, jobs and training My Kids

My Opportunities

Inspirational schools programmes to help young people make the most of their future

Job opportunities from cameraman to construction, receptionist to retail

Exciting opportunities offered by the BBC to the young people of Salford

Skills and training to help local people make the most of MediaCityUK

My Journey

My Destination

The new Metrolink stop and extension will take you into the heart of MediaCityUK

The new piazza and park has an events space able to hold 4,000 people

Improved cycleways and footpaths will offer a greener way to get around

A great destination day or night with a range of restaurants and shops to enjoy

www.makeityourmediacity.co.uk MediaCityUK public sector partners - working together for you

Central Salford issue#04 2010

Contents 41 35 Executive editor: Kirsty MacAulay Acting editor: Siobhán Crozier Features editor: Alex Aspinall Head of business development: Paul Gussar Production: Rachael Schofield Office manager: Sue Mapara Managing director: Toby Fox Printed by: Manson Images: Central Salford URC, Islington Mill, Fat Northerner, P Styles, A Wolkowicz, N Harrison, J Parker Lee, Stephen Wright, Chapel Street Business Group, Salford City Council, ENER-G, The Lowry, GMRO, Peel Media, Manchester Airports Group Published by: 189 Lavender Hill London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840 F: 020 7978 6837 For Central Salford URC Digital World Centre No.1 Lowry Plaza Pier 8 Salford Quays M50 3UB Chief executive Chris Farrow 0161 686 7402 Development director Karen Hirst 01610 686 7411 Company secretary Chris Hulme 0161 686 7409 Head of programme management Jim Wensley 0161 686 7410

06 News

Update on progress and events in Central Salford’s ongoing regeneration

11 Relocation

The smart money is on Salford: why employers are choosing to relocate

Projects: 20 Salford Central Work forges ahead on delivering the Salford Central scheme, with infrastructure in place for when the upturn happens

23 MediaCityUK

Attracting new occupiers, creating thousands of jobs, training the media professionals of the future

27 Greengate

The development of Greengate will re-connect Salford with Manchester

28 Irwell River Park

An 8km stretch of the River Irwell will become an urban waterside park with £72 million of investment

32 Port to portal

Salford Quays has evolved from thriving port to derelict docks and is now becoming a national media hub

35 Creative hub

Central Salford’s creative industries span performance, music and the visual arts, with events throughout the year

40 Funding

In an uncertain climate for financing regeneration projects, work behind the scenes has kept Salford on course

42 Infrastructure

Salford’s hidden gems are being revealed, as traffic is calmed and space is transformed into green and walkable streets

47 Sustainability

Despite the recession, Salford’s regeneration projects are retaining impeccable green credentials

Subscriptions and feedback: www.centralsalfordmagazine.com © 3Fox International Limited 2010. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Limited is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited or Central Salford URC.

23 0

A DEVELOPMENT BY

- PLANNING APPROVAL GRANTED - PHASE ONE UNDERWAY & AVAILABLE TO LET - 400,000 SQUARE FEET OF REGENERATION - OFFICE-LED MIXED-USE SCHEME - OFFICE, RETAIL, RESIDENTIAL & HOTEL OPPORTUNITIES - 4,000 JOBS CREATED IN SALFORD

ABSTRACT

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

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Mark Canning CANNING O’NEILL +44 (0)161 244 5500 mark@canningoneill.com

News

All the latest news and information on what is happening on the ground in Central Salford. From awards and events to planning and development news

10 years of success The Lowry arts centre celebrates its 10th birthday this year and is staging a fitting celebration, exploring the history, heritage and legacy of Salford Quays. Unlocking Salford Quays is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and will bring together the local community, as well as an impressive collection of artists, performers, writers and historians, to highlight the colourful history of this vitally important area of Salford. A rich variety of events is taking place in The Quays and at The Lowry from September to December 2010,

and a permanent new public sculpture trail around The Quays will also be created. It is an opportune time to celebrate the history of The Quays, as they are set to take on added international relevance thanks to the £1 billion investment currently taking place at MediaCityUK (for further details see page 23). The Lowry, which has welcomed over 800,000 visits each year since it opened back in 2000, will continue to play a pivotal role in the continued evolution of The Quays.

TOP: Artists Unlocking Salford Quays, Manchester collective, Unusual ABOVE: Heritage, working quay LEFT: The Lowry

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Unlocking Salford Quays ... will see a permanent new public sculpture trail created

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Central Salford issue#04 2010

Hitting the high notes Following restoration of the Edwardian Concert Hall at Salford Lads’ Club last year, this landmark venue has become a destination for some of the North West’s most iconic events. In the year since Central Salford URC supported the refurbishment of the concert hall, a series of high profile events were held at the Club, which welcomed thousands of people through its doors. The BBC Philharmonic’s Marchini String Quartet performed, and HRH Prince Charles visited as part of Youth United in the

North. Leslie Holmes, SLC manager, said: “It’s fantastic to see the building return to its former glory. In addition to the exceptional events Salford Lads’ Club has staged, it continues to provide an amazing range of activities for young people from performing arts to Thai kick boxing.” In August 2010, Liam Fray, singer of local band, The Corteeners, performed solo in conjunction with Xfm radio. The intimate gig launched a new map celebrating the city’s music credentials.

Planning granted on the Soapworks Planning was approved in May 2010 for the Soapworks development at Ivy Wharf (pictured above). Delivered by the Carlyle Group and Abstract Nikal Management, the redevelopment of the former Colgate Palmolive factory into an iconic mixed-use development represents one of the anchor developments of the Irwell River Park scheme. The design for the Soapworks is being led by shedkm architects, which was responsible for Fort Dunlop. The building will provide over 38,000sq m of high quality flexible commercial space.

Other key planning decisions 09/10 The Corteeners’ Liam Fray played a solo gig at Salford Lads’ Club, in conjunction with Xfm radio.

n Trafford Wharfside Promenade n Booths store at MediaCityUK n ECf and Salford Central n Islington Mill refurbishment ➔

NEWS

A heavenly creation

The emergence of Salford’s Chapel Street area as a burgeoning creative hub took another leap forward this year with the opening of The Angel Healthy Living Centre’s Creative Media Centre. Designed to provide training opportunities for local people interested in film making, creative media and music, the centre offers a huge range of activities, facilities and resources. The centre was officially opened on 18 July 2010, and is already making a significant contribution towards providing the next generation of Salford’s dynamic creative community. To learn more about how the creative and digital industries are contributing to the further regeneration of the city turn to page 35.

Raise a glass Salford’s Corridor bar was the toast of the town earlier in the year after it scooped the coveted Best Bar gong at the Northern Hospitality Awards. The bar, located just off Chapel Street in the heart of the city’s creative quarter, beat off stiff competition from rivals throughout the north of England to take the title. Over 250 representatives from the food and drink industry were on hand to applaud Ian Morgan, proprietor of Corridor, as he took to the stage to collect the trophy. Elsewhere in Salford, The Mark Addy pub is making a big name for itself, thanks to executive chef Robert Owen Brown. The pub serves up an inspiring menu of British classics, using quality local produce alongside real ales, including beers from local micro breweries. The popular riverside pub has been nominated “Newcomer of the Year” in the Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2010.

Where the heart is September 2010 saw the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) launch its innovative House 4 Life design competition. A collaboration between Central Salford URC, Salford City Council, Centre for Construction Innovation, Building Research Establishment (BRE, responsible for the BREEAM rating system), University of Salford, NHS Salford and RIBA. The scheme sets out to create a house that will ‘enable a family to enjoy living, working and playing through their entire life cycle in a high density urban area.’ Building and architectural consortia are being invited to submit plans to a two-stage RIBA competition to design and build an exemplar housing and community scheme in Greengate. The competition aims to promote the advancement of innovation and sustainability, greening the family home in edge of city locations, while linking to the life, health and education needs of the community.

The development is designed to contribute towards the government’s aim to ensure all new homes are zero carbon by 2016. The scheme will incorporate between 10 and 15 exemplar homes as part of the wider innovative housing scheme in the Greengate area.

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Building and architectural consortia are being invited to submit plans to a RIBA competition

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In brief Crescent Development Framework

Signage and Wayfinding Strategy

A strategy to set out the future development of the Crescent area is being drawn up. The Crescent Area Development Framework, which is being prepared by Central Salford URC and Salford City Council, will draw together a number of initiatives in the area, including Salford Crescent Station and the University of Salford’s Strategic Development Framework and combine them into a single strategic plan. It is anticipated that production of a draft framework will be completed by December with a period of public consultation taking place early in 2011.

Central Salford URC has commissioned Urban Vision to prepare a signage and wayfinding strategy to ensure that Central Salford emerges as a fully legible and readable place, with signage devices to direct visitors and residents alike. The document will support the delivery of projects to ensure Central Salford develops into a vibrant, green and walkable city, punctuated by a series of stunning public spaces alongside Salford’s existing rich cultural heritage and unique character. A similar strategy has been prepared to inform how signage devices will work throughout Irwell River Park, which integrates with the wider Central Salford strategy.

Delivering sustainable energy solutions worldwide Supporting Salford Regeneration

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The University of Salford At the heart of the city’s regeneration The University of Salford is a driving force behind the opportunities for Salford to become a world-leading city. Ë Over 1500 students will study in our digital teaching and research space at MediaCityUK, next door to the BBC, when it opens in 2011. Ë At Salford we are widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading enterprising universities, delivering real-world results to business and the community.

Whether you are an individual, an entrepreneur, an established private business, a new start-up, a public or voluntary sector organisation or a social enterprise, you can get involved with the University of Salford and use our services to meet your business objectives.

Find out more about what we can deliver for you. T: 0161 295 5000 www.salford.ac.uk

Central Salford issue#04 2010

Good for business Companies of all shapes and sizes are realising Salford’s potential as an enviable business base. Charlotte Goodworth discovers what has made Salford a premier business destination

he recent announcement that the BBC is moving its flagship BBC Breakfast programme to its MediaCityUK site at Salford Quays, in addition to the departments already announced, signals massive confidence in Salford’s credentials as a potential relocation destination. The £500 million development is just one element of a £4 billion investment programme, which aims to maximise Salford’s growing list of assets: its unique character and heritage, its revived waterways and plentiful green spaces, its ambitious and forward-thinking university, its proximity to Manchester, its high quality infrastructure and its reputation for being synonymous with innovation, media and knowledgebased industries.

Peter Salmon, director of BBC North, believes these are very exciting times for Salford and he is pleased the BBC is at the forefront of these epic changes, as several departments prepare to move in 2011. “Relocating BBC Breakfast to MediaCityUK will mean a daily live threehour television network show coming from the site, which is sure to increase the sense of excitement,” says Peter Salmon. “I hope we will be seeing a lot of those remarkable waterfront backdrops on our screens day after day. I think there will be a real buzz about the place – people working there, studying there, watching shows and just generally enjoying themselves by our buildings. We are so looking forward to being based at The Quays, as we embark on the biggest move of content and programme makers in the BBC’s history.” Major projects such as MediaCityUK have seen confidence and investment in Salford’s commercial property ➔

Relocation

market rocket, with over 500,000sq m of new office development planned over the next 20 years. Figures from Salford City Council’s Sustainable Regeneration Directorate suggest that the new stock availability for April to June 2010 is up on the October to December 2009 period, and deals done per square metre have increased substantially during this period. Ken Bishop, director of office agency for DTZ in Manchester, supports this positive picture of Salford’s commercial property market: “The success of the Manchester city region has created the need to expand the central business district to cope with the general increase in demand. This has led to a great opportunity for development sites across the River Irwell and up to the inner ring road. “Ask Developments, for instance, has an excellent site at Greengate – The Embankment, at the top of Cathedral Approach, which has a fantastic opportunity for attracting occupiers given its profile and linkages to the prime retail and leisure facilities within Manchester’s city centre, such as Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Marks and Spencers and the Arndale Shopping Centre. This major site is capable of accommodating

27,870sq m within two buildings. “On a slightly longer timeframe, English Cities Fund is masterplanning a site adjacent to Salford Central Station. This could become the natural successor to Spinningfields, to which it will be linked via a new footbridge across the River Irwell. These developments will be a great addition to the immediate environment and enhance the strengths and business offer of the city region.” Healthcare giant BUPA chose Salford Quays for its customer contact and shared service centres. Head of finance, Marc Conway, said: “We have all the benefits of excellent transport links with none of the drawbacks of city centre congestion and parking. Our proximity to Manchester city centre gives us access to the same skilled labour force yet our property costs are consistently lower than those in central Manchester.” The commercial property offer is already hitting the right notes with businesses relocating there, not least Salford Innovation Forum. Opened in 2007, this city council-run purpose-built office space close to the university has 50 offices and is now part of Manchester Science Parks. It is designed to give growing businesses a promising

headstart, with plenty of parking, highquality facilities, flexible leases and a full support team. The Forum is just one way in which the council is encouraging and supporting business enterprise, and with more than 80% of the offices now occupied, businesses have realised the benefits offered by such a scheme. Jane Davies, chief executive of the Innovation Forum, said: “Salford provides a supportive environment in which to start new businesses and develop existing companies. A comprehensive range of business development services and facilities is available and businesses benefit from the support and links with the community and public sector, including help with the development of new ideas and turning these into a commercial reality.” Rental values for commercial property in Salford during 2008 to 2009, across all classes, remained under the Manchester city region averages. And its proximity to Manchester is reflected in the type, amount and spatial distribution of the commercial stock. Location and connectivity Its location and connectivity are perhaps two of Salford’s biggest assets, ➔

Central Salford issue#04 2010

OPPOSITE: Metro building, prestigious new offices next to Exchange Quay Metrolink station at Salford Quays. THIS PAGE: MediaCityUK, home to the BBC in the North.

Salford Innovation Forum, run by Salford City Council, is part of Manchester Science Parks. It offers flexible leases with support for up to 50 businesses.

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Major projects such as MediaCityUK have seen confidence and investment in Salford’s commercial property market rocket

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Relocation The river is an asset valued by Salford, Manchester and Trafford, as they collaborate on the new links being planned and built through Irwell River Park.

Salford works for us Case study: ENER-G ENER-G designs, manufactures, finances and operates renewable and energy efficient power generation and energy management schemes. Cost, availability of skilled staff, connectivity and good transport links were the factors informing its 1997 search for an international HQ. ENER-G was attracted by Salford’s geographical position, offering easily accessible headquarters near an international airport, as the firm exports and operates companies around the world. Its HQ in Daniel Adamson Road is close to MediaCityUK. Tim Scott, ENER-G’s chairman and owner, explains: “We acquired a couple of small businesses in Salford in 1997. The staff had an excellent work ethic so we decided to make Salford the centre of our operations and to build the group from there. We have a very small turnover of people and almost everyone that has moved has remained with the group.” ENER-G has a £125 million turnover, employing 760 worldwide with more than 300 staff based in Salford. It is building a £2 million extension on a site adjacent to the head office.

attracting major national and regional firms of varying types. Just 10 minutes from Manchester’s city centre, it is also within easy reach of Manchester International Airport, with 200 existing international destinations and easyJet is launching three new European routes. Liverpool John Lennon and Leeds-Bradford airports are also accessible, putting Salford at the gateway to Europe. London is only two and a half hours away by train. Public transport is of good quality and is set to improve with major investment planned for Salford’s transportation network. This will encourage local people into adopting more sustainable modes of travel, such as walking, cycling and using public transport. This year the MediaCityUK Metrolink tram stop will be completed, ultimately doubling services into The Quays area from central Manchester. Major projects like Quays Gateway, A6 Chapel Street highways work and Irwell River Park are well underway to enhance the linkages between the different areas of the city. Business support Salford’s enterprises can take advantage of its solid business support structure. The Chapel Street Business Group is just one scheme, providing local companies with information, networking opportunities and access to funding. The city’s economic activity rate has increased by more than 12% since 2004 and its employment rate by 4.7% since 2000. Located within the largest sub-regional economy outside London and the South East, Salford boasts a dynamic business base of around 8,000 companies. Figures from a recent local impact report demonstrate MediaCityUK’s value to the local economy, with £98 million worth of work at MediaCityUK awarded to Salford contractors, as well as 1,521 residents getting jobs. BBC North alone will employ 2,500 staff. Several other big-name occupiers are already confirmed, including Holiday Inn, Booths and WHSmith. The 14.6-hectare first

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Several other big name occupiers are confirmed, including Holiday Inn, Booths and WHSmith

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Central Salford issue#04 2010 Salford has excellent transport links with the expansion of the Metrolink tram service. It is also within easy reach of Manchester International Airport.

Case Study: JT International

phase includes 65,000sq m of offices, 23,200sq m of studios, and 7,500sq m of retail and leisure space, confirming the potential of the 81-hectare total site capacity. Skills and talent Businesses moving to Salford can recruit from a plentiful supply of skilled local labour. Over two million people live within a 10-mile radius of the city and 12 million live within a two-hour drive. More than 50% work within knowledge-based jobs, such as banking, finance, insurance and public sectors. The Universities of Manchester and Salford provide the highest concentration of students and academics outside of London, creating a steady stream

of expertise on the doorstep. There are over 100,000 students at the four internationally acclaimed higher education institutions across Greater Manchester. Professor John Wilson, head of Salford Business School, explains the close relationship his university enjoys with business: “The University of Salford has a long history of building strong links with business, reflected in the fact we were one of the first universities to introduce sandwich courses. Numerous companies have hosted our students, including Microsoft, IBM and Lloyds TSB.” As part of its £650 million 10-year masterplan, the university will make a major contribution to MediaCityUK, with ➔ its own base there.

Leading tobacco brands manufacturer JT International (JTI) is located at Salford Quays business centre, with other large shared service centre operations such as Marks & Spencer, Bupa and Sodexo. JTI has recently taken on new staff and acquired additional floor space. General manager, Lucie Paterakis said: “I continue to be impressed by the dedication, loyalty and commitment of our rising stars and look forward to recruiting more of them – especially those with the right attitude as well as language skills, accountancy and system knowledge.”

Relocation Art, music, theatre, festivals – Salford’s cultural calendar is packed with events. RIGHT: BBC Proms BELOW: Quality public realm benefits residents and employees.

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The university’s base will ensure that we continue to produce graduates with the skills demanded by a 21st century economy

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Professor John Wilson

“With MediaCityUK at Salford Quays due to open in 2011,” explains Professor Wilson, “the area will be at the forefront of regional and national broadcasting and will be at the cutting-edge of developments in digital and creative industries. The university’s base will ensure that we continue to produce graduates with the skills demanded by a 21stcentury economy.” Salford City College has been awarded Beacon Status for delivering outstanding teaching and learning. Its most recent Ofsted inspection graded the college as ‘outstanding’ for the work it does with external partners. Graham Pennington, deputy chief executive of Salford City College, highlights the importance in which the college views its function as a business training supplier: “Salford City College is committed to providing first-class training for businesses and employees. We deliver high-end business training and assistance to help businesses shape up for a brighter, more productive future. We work closely with many local businesses and are the preferred training supplier for Salford City Council.” Recent GCSE results show an average of 81% of Salford students gaining five or more A* to C grades, 11% above last year’s national average. Achievements are set to rise further with the £165 million proposed revamp of many of Salford’s high schools. Quality of life If a business is to relocate it must be convinced that there is a good quality of life to be enjoyed by its employees, and Salford does not disappoint. The whole of the city can boast 60% green space, 18 square miles of countryside and parks, six waterways, 30 miles or rivers and canals, 112 ponds and lakes, and 14 waterway bridges. For entertainment and culture The Lowry arts centre and the Imperial War Museum North, located just across the water, provide a diverse programme of exhibitions, drama, opera, ballet, dance, musicals, children’s shows, popular

music, jazz, folk and comedy. The BBC Philharmonic brings regular events to Salford; the BBC Proms in the Park, returned to the city’s historic Buile Hill Park in September 2010. Salford’s burgeoning music, arts and food and drink festivals add a distinctive flavour to Manchester’s events calendar. On Salford’s doorstep, Trafford is home to Lancashire Country Cricket Club and Manchester United’s stadium at Old Trafford. The city council-run Salford Watersports Centre offers outdoor adventure in its state of the art activities centre at Salford Quays, with training in climbing and orienteering, as well as windsurfing, kayaking and canoeing, dinghy sailing or power-boating. For those seeking a home in Salford, there are a range of properties for every budget, including waterside apartments, traditional terraces and modern family homes. Figures from the Sustainable Regeneration Directorate at Salford City Council show 1,029 affordable units are on track to be completed by 2011, ranging from two-bed apartments to large seven-bed houses. A further 197 homes were completed or allocated through the government’s First Time Buyer Initiative, and 269 other affordable units could be built postApril 2011. Work is starting on over 700 homes in Central Salford, to meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard using £9 million worth of funding. Managers and executives have a good choice of large period and modern properties available at very competitive prices, with a four-bed detached property costing around £250,000 in Salford. The option of a luxury serviced one-bed apartment in prestigious Salford Quays costs around £70 a day. While Salford is already a fantastic business destination, offering a good quality of life to its residents, there is a certainty that its offer will soon expand further. So where better to allow your business to fulfil its potential than in a city on the brink of maximising its own? n

If you want the job done, give it to a busy team.

Contact: Stephen Hogg stephen.hogg@kingsturge.com www.kingsturge.com

One Piccadilly Gardens Manchester M1 1RG Telephone: 0161 236 8793

257 Deansgate Manchester M3 4EN Telephone: 0161 238 7400

Basil Chambers, 67A High Street Manchester M4 1FS Telephone: 0161 238 7401

Projects: Map

Major developments An update on the major projects that are under way or coming on-stream, contributing to the transformation of Central Salford

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Central Salford issue#04 2010

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Projects: Salford Central

Salford Central

KEY STATiStics: ■ 17.7-hectare site ■ 849 apartments and townhouses ■ 197,010sq m of office space ■2 4,255sq m of local shops, small food stores, cafes, restaurants and bars ■ 2 hotels of 140 and 250 bedrooms WHO’S INVOLVED: Developer partner: English Cities Fund Design: RHWL, Glenn Howells

Many regeneration projects are on hold in the current market but work is forging ahead on delivering the Salford Central scheme

Central Salford issue#04 2010

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Significant progress is being made with the scheme. Planning permission has been granted

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n January 2010 Salford City Council unanimously approved English Cities Fund’s (ECf) planning application for the Salford Central area – the largest planning application ever received by Salford City Council. Occupying a key location, Salford Central is the western gateway linking the rest of Salford, including MediaCityUK, through to Manchester city centre. Plans for the redevelopment of this strategically important 17.7-hectare site will breathe new life into the area, creating a vibrant, urban centre and improving the setting of its many historic and natural assets. Plans include the expansion of the Corporate Centre from Spinningfields, Manchester’s successful business district, to Salford’s proposed New Bailey development, as well as ensuring that Chapel Street becomes synonymous with high quality family housing and apartments, business opportunities, a distinctive retail and leisure offer and the continued growth of the creative industries that have already given the area a unique feel. Planning approval followed extensive consultation with local residents, businesses and partners who are eager to see the plans come to fruition. English Cities Fund, a joint venture partnership between Legal & General, Muse Developments and the Homes and Communities Agency, has made more progress than many developers around the country over the last 12 months. Phil Mayall, senior development surveyor at Muse Developments, said:

“Significant progress has been made. Hybrid planning permission has been granted for a scheme covering both the Chapel Street area and the proposed New Bailey commercial district. This has resulted in the largest planning approval ever granted by Salford City Council. “It will return this area of Salford to the position it held in years gone by, a flourishing and sustainable local community supported by an active and innovative commercial heart provided by the New Bailey development. Salford will play its full part in expansion of the regional centre and capture the benefits of its expanding central business district.” Meanwhile, thanks to over £10 million of funding secured through the Northwest Regional Development Agency and European Regional Development Fund in March 2010, work is underway on traffic-calming Chapel Street itself. While in August 2010 the completion of phase one of Central Salford URC’s ‘green and walkable streets’ programme for Chapel Street, which included improvements to Bexley Square and the walkways and gardens to the west of historic Salford Cathedral, was celebrated with the official opening of the Cathedral Gardens to the public. These vital improvements to Chapel Street’s infrastructure and public realm create the environment for substantial investment, a more pedestrian-friendly, attractive environment for residents, businesses, visitors and investors. n

Bridging the past, present and future of Salford New Bailey is an exciting new extension to Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Central Business District. Masterplanned to provide over 2 million square feet of new Grade A, sustainable, high quality office development along with supporting retail, leisure and residential uses, it is set to become the business destination of choice. This scheme is part of the wider Salford Central project, which includes the Chapel Street neighbourhood and is set to regenerate over 50 acres of Salfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s civic and historic centre. It is being delivered by English Cities Fund through active partnership with Salford City Council and Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company.

www.englishcitiesfund.co.uk

Anchorage One, Anchorage Quay, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 3YJ Tel: 0161 877 0016 Fax: 0161 872 6531

A regeneration partnership involving

Central Salford issue#04 2010

MediaCityUK MediaCityUK is successfully attracting new occupiers and creating thousands of jobs

hen the BBC Trust gave the go-ahead for the move to Salford’s MediaCityUK in 2007, BBC Director General Mark Thompson memorably said: “This is a moment, then, when the possibility of building a sustainable, truly world class, creative industry is almost in our grasp.” Three years on, the cranes are gone and as MediaCityUK inches its way towards the finished article, the development has had a demonstrable economic impact with more to come when its doors open. In July 2010 anchor tenant, the BBC, announced that in addition to its Sports, Future Media and Technology (FMT), Children’s, Formal Learning and Radio 5 Live departments, it would also be bringing BBC Breakfast to MediaCityUK, along with an extra 118 marketing and

FMT posts. This additional relocation was welcomed warmly by Peel Media, and highlights the BBC’s commitment to its new home. Peter Salmon, director of BBC North, said: “This last year has been really eventful for us at BBC North. There’s masses to do before we move our first wave of staff onto the site next May. “It’s nearly a year since we took over our first building last October and work continues to prepare our new buildings for the range of great content we will make there, for television, radio and online. The BBC presence at MediaCityUK is going to be greatly enhanced by the addition of the Breakfast team – the BBC One programme will be broadcast live from Salford for three hours every morning. Breakfast, along with Radio 5 Live and ➔

The University of Salford will establish its MediaCityUK campus for media focused courses.

Projects: MediaCityUK

regional programmes, will make us the biggest news hub in the UK outside London. That’s something to really build on for Salford, the North and the whole of the BBC. “Next year will probably be the most challenging and fraught. We’ve got to move staff from Manchester and London into our new home and recruit lots of fresh, new, talented faces to join us. We have launched our jobs website to a great deal of interest and we are also developing our plans about how we can welcome audiences to our new home.” Within weeks of the BBC statement, MediaCityUK’s other primary resident, the University of Salford, also announced that it would be bringing a greater number of students and staff members than originally expected to MediaCityUK, when it revealed the list of courses it would be running from its state-of-the-art new base at Salford Quays. On 5 August 2010, the university revealed that it would be delivering a total of 39 courses from MediaCityUK, and that more than 1,500 of its students would be studying on site. The courses are largely new media and technologyrelated, and include BSc Digital Broadcast Technology, an MSc Audio

Production course and programmes in journalism, animation and TV documentary making. At the time of the announcement Professor Martin Hall, vice chancellor at the University of Salford, said: “The courses which we’ll be teaching at MediaCityUK will give Salford students an experience like no other. World class facilities and a huge industry hub on the doorstep mean that students on these courses will have the best possible start to their careers in media.” The summer also provided further reason to celebrate when a deal was signed to bring the production and engineering facilities at Satellite Information Services (SIS) up to MediaCityUK from London. SIS, which has had a presence in The Pie Factory at MediaCityUK since 2006, announced that it would be taking a minimum of 2,300sq m of commercial office space, to be located at the heart of the development. It also revealed that it would have around 100 members of staff working at MediaCityUK. While the finishing touches were added to the apartments as they prepared to welcome their first tenants, work was also quietly ticking along on

“

We’ve got to move staff into our new home and recruit fresh, new, talented faces to join us

„

the vital, if slightly less headline-grabbing, infrastructure and public realm elements of the scheme. MediaCityUK is already a destination, even a year ahead of its official opening date. One milestone, reached in autumn 2010, was the arrival of the site’s first operational tram. Located at the heart of the development, the tram stop will tie in MediaCityUK with Salford and Manchester. From 2011, trams serving Salford Quays will also increase in

Central Salford issue#04 2010

ABOVE: Salford’s media stars of the future celebrate the first year of the MediaCityUK schools programme with BBC Newsround presenter Hayley Cutts and NBA basketball star John Amaechi. LEFT: £98 million worth of construction contracts have gone direct to Salford businesses. OPPOSITE: MediaCityUK’s impressive public realm.

frequency, hugely benefitting the existing Quays businesses and improving access to the area for visitors and residents. Another notable completion in the last year is delivery of the site’s huge public realm and central piazza. A dynamic centrepiece to the entire MediaCityUK development, this area, which is twice the size of Trafalgar Square, is split into the piazza and an impressive expanse of landscaped parkland. The piazza has been designed to accommodate up to 4,000 people. There are plans for the area to be used for concerts, markets and a year-round series of special events. The landscaped park will offer MediaCityUK workers, residents and visitors the space for peace and quiet. MediaCityUK is bringing thousands of jobs to Salford Quays. The 218-bed Holiday Inn opened during autumn 2010, specifically targeting local people when filling vacancies. The development is also working with the community via its association with the innovative Salford City Council’s schools programme. Back in July 2010 the MediaCityUK schools programme celebrated the successes of its first year. Operating as part of the wider MediaCityUK Public Sector Partners

(PSP) programme, four schools projects – Higher Futures 4 U, Me and My Movie, Radiowaves and Supporter to Reporter – have benefited well over 2,400 students taking part in the scheme, which is designed to encourage the young people of Salford to make the most of the opportunities having MediaCityUK on their doorstep could bring. Councillor John Merry, Salford City Council leader, said: “MediaCityUK has already brought in huge benefits to the city during its construction – over 1,500 local people have been employed on site and £98 million worth of contracts have gone direct to Salford businesses. “We’re now building on this success by working with MediaCityUK tenants, including the BBC, on ensuring local people have opportunities and access to the range of jobs at the new site. Our ongoing education programmes have offered new opportunities to every school in Salford and young people have the chance to take part in innovative apprenticeship schemes. “MediaCityUK will not only put our city on the map globally but more importantly, will bring real and longterm benefits to the businesses and communities here in Salford.” n

Confirmed tenants: ■ BBC ■ University of Salford ■ Vison + Media ■ Booths Supermarket ■ Holiday Inn hotel ■ WHSmith ■ Satellite Information Systems ■ The Pie Factory – 25 SMEs The numbers: 65,000sq m office space 23,000sq m studios 7,000sq m retail/leisure 378 apartments 218 beds in Holiday Inn hotel 2,200 car parking spaces Who’s involved: Funding: Northwest Regional Development Agency, Salford City Council, Peel Holdings Developer/investor: Peel Holdings Architects: Wilkinson Eyre, Benoy, Fairhurst Design Group, Sheppard Robson, Chapman Taylor Management contractor: Bovis Lend Lease

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Orbit House & Emerson House Eccles

The Lowry Mall, Imperial Point & Sovereign Point Salford Quays

Lowry Mall

Plaza Reception

Lowry Mall Retail Shops

Sovereign Point

Apartment Lounge

Apartment Bedroom

Sovereign Point Penthouse Garden

The Emerson Group has long enjoyed a successful working relationship with the City of Salford. Ever since 1973, when The Group’s Commercial Division launched the 8-storey Orbit House in Eccles which was soon followed by the 48,000 sq ft 10-storey Emerson House, Eccles it has continued to provide office accommodation of the highest quality. Today, one of the primary tenants is Urban Vision Partnerships Ltd, a joint venture between Salford City Council, Capita Symonds and Morrison plc, whose key role is to champion the City’s regeneration. Other tenants in Eccles include The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Niche Healthcare and Dataplex Systems Ltd. Imperial Point

Apartment Tower

Acquired some twelve years ago, the main tenant at St. James’s House, Pendleton is Salford Primary Care Trust, occupants of over 55,000 sq ft. Recently awarded ‘Secure By Design’ building status, the managed and serviced offices provide an ideal seedbed for new companies’ growth, together with a flexible environment for larger, more established organisations. Situated in Salford Quays’ premier waterfront location, The Lowry Mall is a landmark mixed-use development offering shopping, leisure, fitness club, cinema, restaurants, bars and office accommodation. Residents in the award-winning apartment buildings enjoy panoramic views, looking out over an area of outstanding architectural interest which includes internationally recognised landmarks like The Lowry arts centre, the Millennium Footbridge, The Imperial War Museum North and Manchester United’s famous ‘Theatre of Dreams’ football stadium. At Broadway Quays, one of Salford’s most vibrant business locations, is Broadway House and Curzon House. Occupying a prominent position adjacent to the historic Manchester Ship Canal, these two 3 and 4 storey buildings will, between them, provide over 60,000 sq ft of superior Grade A office accommodation.

Sovereign Point Apartment Tower

With planning permission approved for a third residential tower at The Lowry Mall, Salford Quays, The Group continues to demonstrate its commitment to, and confidence in, the future of Salford. Complementing Imperial Point and Sovereign Point, this exciting 20-storey development will provide 98 luxury apartments with commanding views over the Huron Basin. A 200 bedroom hotel is also proposed off the existing car park, facing the Huron Basin. This prestigious scheme will be of interest to BBC staff re-locating from London to MediaCity:UK at Salford Quays. This purpose-built multi-channelled media zone is expected to create over 15,000 jobs and attract 150,000 additional visitors. In summary the Group’s long-term involvement in Salford has led to the creation of excellent landlord / tenant relationships, which has resulted in repeat business, with many tenants choosing to expand or transfer to other premises within the Group’s portfolio.

New Apartment Tower at The Lowry Mall

Media City:UK

Broadway House

Adjacent to The Lowry Mall

Salford Quays

St. James’s House Pendleton

BUILDING SUCCESS STORIES FROM THE U.K. TO PORTUGAL & THE U.S.A. Emerson International: Building & Letting of Offices, Development of Golfing Communities & Holiday & Residential Accommodation in Portugal & the U.S.A. Jones Homes: Residential Developers - Detached Homes, Mews Homes, Townhouses & Apartments Orbit Developments: Developers of Prestigious Offices, Retail, Leisure & Business Parks Jones Contracts: Design & Build Projects. Offices, Industrial, Retail & Leisure Developments Holidays Select: Specialising in Worldwide Holidays, particularly the Portuguese Algarve & the U.S.A.

Emerson House Heyes Lane Alderley Edge Cheshire SK9 7LF

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01625 588400

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Central Salford issue#04 2010

Greengate Design-led public realm is at the heart of dramatic mixed-use plans for Greengate, re-connecting the cities of Salford and Manchester

lans and funding are in place for Greengate, which is set to become one of the most vibrant parts of the regional centre. The project will create a dramatic piece of public realm at the centre of a 13-hectare brownfield development site, linking the cities of Manchester and Salford at their heart. While cuts are stalling many projects around the country, Greengate is preparing to start on site later this year as Deborah McLaughlin, Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) regional director for the North West, explains: “Despite the difficult market conditions, we are all working extremely hard on this important public realm which will connect the cities of Salford and Manchester. With the planning in place and the developer ready to start, we hope to be able to get started in the very near future.” The Central Salford URC-led project will be delivered in two stages in partnership with Ask Developments and Network Rail. The first phase includes areas of public realm designed by Whitelaw Turkington and Arup, which are being supported by £8.5 million of funding from the HCA, with further funding secured through the European Regional Development Fund and the Northwest Regional Development Agency. When completed, Greengate’s stunning new network of green public spaces will be used for a mix of cultural

and retail events including concerts and markets. Phase one creates one hectare of new public realm – the Urban Cove will feature sculptures and light installations that will transform the area, with an iconic footbridge across the River Irwell. With the Urban Cove, parts of the rail viaduct that bisects the site will be removed, allowing work to begin on the Greengate Link, as Ask Developments and Network Rail bring forward their commercial scheme and car park. The second phase of the scheme will deliver the 0.9-hectare Greengate Square. Greengate is a complex project bringing major benefits and one which all partners are fully committed to delivering. As Nik Puttnam, senior development manager for the project explains: “We have a strong partnership with Ask Developments. It is a difficult market but there are some enquiries around and we are working hard with Ask to maximise the Greengate offer. Along with Salford City Council, Central Salford URC is also working with Ask to look at a number of public/private mechanisms to start early delivery of the commercial elements of the scheme.” Central Salford URC, with private sector partners, is looking at opportunities at the retained Greengate arches and to the north of the Ask development. Partnerships are also ongoing with other landowners to promote the Greengate scheme and look at how it complements their work.

The visitor experience to Manchester’s revitalised Medieval Quarter, which attracts visitors to historic buildings such as Chetham’s School of Music and Manchester Cathedral, will be complemented and enhanced by Greengate’s hotel, bars, restaurants and high quality shops. n

KEY STATiStics: ■ 2010 work set to begin ■ 13-hectare site ■ 1.9-hectare public realm ■ £10.2 million of public sector investment ■ £439 million of private investment ■ 1,400 new homes ■ 301,935sq m mixed use development WHO’S INVOLVED: Client: Salford City Council Developer partner: Ask Developments, Network Rail Funder: Homes and Communities Agency, European Regional Development Fund and Northwest Regional Development Agency Cost consultant: Turner & Townsend Project manager: Faithful and Gould Design: Arup, Whitelaw & Turkington

Projects: Irwell River Park

Irwell River Park The new and exciting £72 million urban river park programme will be delivered over the next decade, with £45 million of investment already secured

rwell River Park will deliver a lasting transformation of the Irwell and the Manchester Ship Canal, as it becomes the new international waterfront destination for the Manchester City Region. Adding new connections between Salford, Manchester and Trafford, Irwell River Park will connect £3 billion of economic investment, providing new strategic links between employment, international cultural and media destinations, with new leisure and recreational opportunities.

“Manchester has been rated as the 14th greatest European city in an independent survey. The other 13 cities ahead of Manchester all have fabulous waterfronts – and Manchester now needs the same,” said Chris Farrow, chief executive of Central Salford URC. “The Irwell has always been the lifeblood of Greater Manchester and by keeping a singular vision we can make it become a unique place to visit.” The £72 million urban river park will now be delivered over the next decade, completing the transformation of the

Central Salford issue#04 2010

Irwell from a neglected backwater into a major amenity for the local community, visitors and the business sector. An 8km sustainable transport route stretching from The Quays to The Meadows, adjacent to the University of Salford, will link these significant employment, cultural and visitor destinations, supporting future economic growth. The high quality public realm enhances the environment, promotes sustainability and will help to attract housing and commercial investment. Irwell River Park will, for the first time, connect a cluster of internationally acclaimed destinations such as the Imperial War Museum North, MediaCityUK and The Lowry arts centre, Manchester United’s stadium at Old Trafford, Manchester Cathedral, major educational institutions and the Museum of Science and Industry. Working with the three local authorities of Salford, Manchester and Trafford, Central Salford URC’s masterplan for

the region’s new waterfront destination is underpinned by a robust economic rationale and is ambitious yet realistic, given the current climate. It is clear now that a £72 million programme of investment cannot be secured in one tranche, so the project is progressing in phases. The Irwell River Park (IRP) project team is working with key partners including Peel Holdings, Ask Developments and Allied London among others, to bring forward new bridge and public realm connections. The link between MediaCityUK and Manchester city centre has always been a priority for the project, and Salford City Council has now approved £750,000 to create a continuous pedestrian and cycle route between MediaCityUK at The Quays to the city centre, incorporating new routeways and links to the riverside. Salford’s primary waterfront route will benefit from major environmental improvements with new or improved lighting, new paved areas and landscaping, facilities for anglers and rowers and enhanced connections back to adjacent neighbourhoods, signposted to encourage increased use of this fantastic waterside asset. Elaine Davis, Central Salford URC’s project manager for Irwell River Park, said, “The completion by September 2010 of Trafford Wharf promenade will be spectacular, creating a new riverside frontage for Imperial War Museum North that complements the award winning building.” Peel Media is the applicant for the scheme and the URC’s IRP project team secured funding of ➔ £3.6 million from the Northwest

irwell river park will deliver: ■ 8km walking and cycling route ■ 280-hectare urban park ■ 16,000 jobs (gross) ■ £605 million of new investment ■ £734 million new GVA growth ■ 6 million additional visitors ■ 13.7-hectares of brownfield land reclaimed or redeveloped ■ 6,996 metres of new waterside route ■ 6 new bridges Who’s involved: Public sector partners: Central Salford URC, Salford City Council, Manchester City Council, and Trafford Council Funding and regulatory partners: Northwest Regional Development Agency, European Regional Development Fund, Homes & Communities Agency, Environment Agency, Manchester Ship Canal Company Developers: Peel Holdings, Bruntwood, English Cities Fund, Allied London, Dandara, Ask Developments, The Carlyle Group, Nikal, Abstract Securities Ltd, West Properties, Urban Splash

The 8km Irwell River connects £3 billion of economic investment.

Projects: Irwell River Park

Regional Development Agency to deliver it. “Peel engaged our design, cost and engineering teams to design a new frontage for Imperial War Museum North, linking into the new footbridge connecting MediaCityUK to the Trafford banks. This will provide a superb facility for visitors and local people, providing the southern anchor point for the Park and setting a new benchmark, alongside MediaCityUK, for outstanding public realm.” Central Salford URC has also secured investment of approximately £180,000 from Community Forests North West for The Meadows, which is the northern green anchor of Irwell River Park, adjacent to the University of Salford. As one of the largest green spaces in the conurbation, this six-hectare meadow will be transformed with new footpaths, wetlands, fencing, additional trees and other greening features, to make the most of this under-utilised asset. The Environment Agency is working with the IRP project team, investing time and expertise to improve the condition of the riverbanks, clearing the invasive weeds.

The former Colgate factory site on the waterfont in Ordsall, now named Soapworks at Ivy Wharf, is also being redeveloped in 2010/11, creating 38,000sq m of office space by joint venture partners Nikal, Abstract and Carlyle, bringing 3,500 jobs to the area. The scheme includes retail units, a gym and restaurants. Nick Payne, from Nikal, said: “The Soapworks is one of the most exciting and creative developments to happen in the North West over the last few years. Working together with Central Salford URC and the IRP project team, we are investing as a partnership a further £290,000 to create a new link to the side of the Soapworks, connecting the community to the river and encouraging new links to the Ordsall neighbourhood,” As the Irwell River Park vision starts to be transformed into reality, with major projects evident on the ground, the challenge will now be to animate the revitalised new riverside with functions, people and activity. Bringing people back to the river will be the key to success for the future. n

“

The Soapworks is one of the most exciting & creative developments in the North West

„

LEFT: Plans to transform Crescent Meadow. ABOVE: New Salford skyline; Cathedral Walk linking Salford to Manchester; and the Soapworks at Ivy Wharf.

CCI are delighted to support Central Salford URC in delivering innovative, sustainable, collaborative solutions for the built environment.

CUBE, 1st Floor, 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester M1 6DW.

Project Part-Financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund

Images courtesy of Central Salford Urban Regeneration

Tel +44 (0) 161 295 5076 Fax +44 (0) 161 295 5880 email: enquiries@ccinw.com

www.ccinw.com

from port to portal

From port to portal 1990

1990s

Government and European investment of £35 million £250 million private sector investment

1970s

Containerisation brings larger ships Changing trade patterns Docks declined

1,000 permanent jobs on site First phase developments, two new canals, four miles of waterfront promenade complete Major commercial development at Harbour City and the Anchorage

1982

Last docks closed 3,000 jobs lost Docks became derelict

1981-91

Salford/Trafford Enterprise Zone

1894

Manchester Docks opened by Queen Victoria

1981-85 300 new businesses located in Salford’s Enterprise Zone

1986-90

189

Infrastructure programme implemented

1948

Manchester became the country’s third largest port

1984

Salford City Council purchased the Manchester Docks

1985

The Salford Quays Development Plan adopted by Salford City Council Three-year rolling funding agreed by government

1987

Multiplex Cinema, Copthorne Hotel, first offices and housing opened

1993

First water sports centre opened

1994

Salford Wharf opened Lottery funding granted, Lowry Trust established

Central Salford issue#04 2010

Widely recognised as one of the country’s leading regeneration success stories – just how did Salford Quays make its remarkable journey from port to portal? 2007

MediaCityUK construction begins £40 million public sector investment £1 billion private sector investment

2006 2000

The Lowry and footbridge completed HRM Queen Elizabeth II opened The Lowry, more than one million visit in the first year Metrolink extended from The Quays to Eccles

Planning permission granted for MediaCityUK

1997

Construction of The Lowry begins

2005

1999

Lowry commercial development gets under way

1999

Metrolink comes to The Quays

2002

Imperial War Museum North opened Commonwealth Games at The Quays Opening of Lowry Designer outlet, attracting more than three milllion visitors in its first year

201

First occupancy of apartments at NV Buildings

2011

Completion of MediaCityUK phase one BBC North moves into new home at MediaCityUK New retailers start trading First University of Salford students and staff on site First residents move in Holiday Inn opens Metrolink arrives at MediaCityUK

75% 69% 76%

of delegates at SocInvest 2010 said the event met their objectives “extremely well” or “well”.

said they took away ideas and information that would help them with funding initiatives.

said the coverage of regeneration issues was “extremely good” or “good”.

The premier regeneration finance and funding event took place in London on June 16, 2010, attended by 160 senior regeneration executives from the public and private sectors across the UK.

Comments included: “Good selection of speakers and issues covered”

SocInvest returns in 2011 for the fourth year running. Can you afford to miss out?

“Flowed well and kept interest going all day”

Keep track of the developing programme at www.SocInvest.co.uk and subscribe there to the monthly newsletter and research projects.

“Excellent day - great mix of subjects and speakers”

Central Salford issue#04 2010

State of the arts

In a world awash with projects, initiatives and schemes, there’s something very refreshing about the organic growth of Salford’s creative industries, says Alex Aspinall continued over ➔

Creative industries

erhaps best symbolised by the renaissance of Islington Mill, Chapel Street’s business base has fundamentally changed. The former cotton spinning mill off Chapel Street, empty in 1998, now provides the trendy backdrop for an inspiring cross section of more than 50 creative companies and artists. And they aren’t working in isolation. The Chapel Street area boasts a remarkable concentration of creatives. From artists to designers and record companies to theatre groups, the growing number of like-minded individuals in the area attracts all corners of the creative community. This close proximity working is good for contact building and career progression of those involved, but it has also helped bring a new sense of positivity and vitality to an area that hasn’t always been able to lay claim to such desirable descriptions. Bill Campbell is the man responsible for making Islington Mill what it is today, and over the last ten years he has enjoyed watching Chapel Street’s development as a creative hub. He said: “Salford and Chapel Street have become a more viable place to try things out. We have demonstrated that people will come and set up in business here, and that when it comes to holding events people will come out. When I first started here if you tried to get funding for a project or business in the area people would not have been too enthusiastic.” What started with a bold plan for a disused mill has evolved into one of the region’s well respected creative hubs, with no shortage of organisations and individuals looking to contribute to, and benefit from, its continued growth. After encountering barriers trying to establish the Un-Convention music conference elsewhere, Ruth Daniel found conditions far more conducive to success in Salford. The conference, one of several music and art-focused events that take place throughout the year, is now a well established date on the city’s cultural calendar. Her record label Fat Northerner is among the larger organisations helping shape Chapel Street’s creative future.

She said: “We have managed to connect with lots of other creative businesses in Salford. A lot of what we do is about working together and working with other creative businesses at a grass roots level. Places like Islington Mill and the creative clusters have got involved. There are all sorts of collectives and support groups in the area, and it really feels like this is the place to be for creative businesses. “We have been able to share our office with other record labels. People want to come here. It is a real creative hub that people need to be in and it’s on Manchester’s doorstep.” The natural growth of Chapel Street’s relevance as a centre for creativity is something cities around the world are seeking to foster. There is a universal acknowledgment about the increasingly important economic role played by creative and digital companies. They are a major part of establishing a

skilled, knowledge-led economy; they contribute significantly to destination marketing, attract new residents and they help create successful areas that feel exciting and relevant. This is a process that Andy Lovatt, managing director of creative economy consultancy The White Room, has been particularly pleased to see take place over the last few years. “The White Room was commissioned by Central Salford URC to look at the demand for creative industries in the Chapel Street area. Our research clearly highlighted the role Salford’s creative industries have played in helping Chapel Street become a work and leisure destination,” he says. “Islington Mill particularly was highlighted as a building that was attracting people to the area in terms of business and the night time economy. “Its continued growth is dependent both on continued investment and on more people coming to the area and

Central Salford issue#04 2010 PREVIOUS: Sacred Trinity Church, one of Chapel Street’s unusual music venues. FAR LEFT: Sounds From the Other City at Islington Mill. LEFT: Printmaking at Hot Bed Press. BELOW: Promoting Salford’s annual music festival.

“

It is always good when people come together and make things happen. Salford has grown. It has a good grounding and good roots, and it is still growing

„

Bill Campbell

more people buying and letting spaces. The demand study, which supported the Development Framework for Chapel Street, suggested that within Greater Manchester people knew the area, felt it was a creative place and said they would consider relocating here. We just need to try and figure out more ways to repurpose old buildings for new uses.” Salford has long recognised the importance of cultural and creative industries to its future growth, from the internationally renowned Lowry arts centre which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, to the wealth of independent creative companies and events, which are encouraged and supported throughout the city. Central Salford URC has played a major role in promoting Chapel Street’s creative credentials, which has in turn, helped to attract new organisations into the area. Central Salford URC has been a key partner in some of the local events

and open days, and it has invested in creative industries workspace, such as Hot Bed Press Printmaking Studio, as well as in the quality of the streetscape, to encourage further investment.

Ruth Daniel highlights the relative ease with which it is possible to establish a creative company in Salford, with ‘great’ support from Central Salford URC when she was starting out, stating that they ➔

Chapel Street Open Studios Central Salford URC’s commitment to the promotion of Chapel Street’s creative organisations is highlighted by the Chapel Street Open Studios event, held in November 2009. A hugely successful fortnight of events saw artists in the area open their studios to the public to exhibit and sell their work. Venues taking part, staging and hosting events and attractions, included Islington Mill, Manchester Artists’ Studio Association (MASA) and The Casket Works – home to Hot Bed Press, Suite Studios and Cow Lane – as well as Salford’s oldest church Sacred Trinity and its sister chapel, St Philip’s Church. This cross-neighbourhood involvement of so many organisations highlights how special this corner of Salford really is. And with everyone pulling in the same direction, there is no reason its continued growth needs to slow. Chapel Street Open Studios 2010 will take place from 19 to 28 November. ➔

Creative industries RIGHT: Chapel Street is a contemporary artists’ quarter, rich in music and visual arts. FAR RIGHT: Each year Sounds From The Other City draws crowds.

“

Chapel Street as a creative hub is clearly a major element of the vision for the area

„

were particularly “open to ideas, helpful and supportive.” It is something Bill Campbell has experienced too. He said: “When it comes to creative industries and the URC, I have seen them supporting lots of projects and they’ve been really helpful. Their work has also helped us with getting support from external organisations like the Arts Council, for example. It is a credit to Salford to have so many smaller organisations doing so well.” It is now important to ensure that they continue to do so. The further growth of Chapel Street as a creative hub is clearly a major element of the vision for the area. But this must be managed in a sensible way. Everyone involved is acutely aware that the development of Chapel Street, so crucial to the city’s development, must happen in a natural way. Installing flat pack atmosphere and seeking growth at the cost of Chapel Street’s creative spirit will destroy the creative hub’s main strengths. Supporting the right kind of development and ideas is to be the

way forward, as Ruth Daniel explains: “The area needs to retain its interesting, creative spirit. We need to recognise potential, invest in new ideas and invest in people with maverick mentalities. If the decision makers can recognise these qualities then things won’t become stale. “The climate we are in at the moment, and the way things are changing in the creative industries generally, I think things are going to go back to being very small businesses and in that respect this can maintain an edge and ensure interesting output. This will keep the place vibrant. There is a balancing act between keeping the edge and making the area bigger.” Perhaps the most exciting thing is that this thriving artists’ quarter in and around Chapel Street is still in its early days. The creative industries have changed this area for the better. Led by organisations naturally clustering to create something greater than the sum of their parts, the area’s progress to date should be seen as something like an exemplar of what all cities are trying to achieve. n

Coming up Islington Mill launch Refurbished ground floor and exhibition space at Islington Mill

October 2010

Un-convention Salford National annual festival with influential figures from global grassroots music, exploring music, technology and creativity 1-3 October 2010 70 Windows art installation University of Salford launches an installation of 70 images covering the façade of a former Police Station on Chapel Street Hot Bed Press launch Launch of Hot Bed Press’ expanded printmaking facilities at The Casket Works, including classroom space and studios Salford Film Festival

Salford’s Film Festival in venues including St Philip’s Church and Islington Mill

Chapel Street Open Studios Artists open their studios to exhibit and sell their work. A selection of venues hosting events and attractions

November 2010 10-14 November 2010 19–28 November 2010

Sounds From The Other City Annual Mayday music festival in Chapel Street’s pubs and churches

October 2010

1 May 2011

Central Salford partners group Joining together to support Salford

Cobbetts Tiffany Cloynes tiffany.cloynes@cobbetts.com Countryside Properties PLC Philip Whitehead Philip.Whitehead@cpplc.com Davies Arnold Cooper Peter Williams PWilliams@dac.co.uk Gleeds Stuart Sayer stuart.sayer@gleeds.co.uk Glenn Howells Architects mail@glennhowells.co.uk Keppie Massie Ged Massie gedmassie@keppiemassie.com The Lowry Hotel enquiries.lowry@roccofortecollection.com

For more information about these companies, visit www.centralsalfordmagazine.com/links

3Fox International Paul Gussar Paul@3foxinternational.com

funding

Follow the money Few readers will be surprised to hear the regeneration industry is experiencing testing times. Funding cuts, mothballed projects and a heavy spattering of uncertainty about the future have all taken their toll on cities up and down the UK. But Salford has weathered the storm better than most. And it’s thanks largely to a great deal of work behind the scenes. Alex Aspinall investigates

he areas of the UK that have been able to most successfully deal with the strains of the credit crunch and the recession all have one thing in common: they have not seen the downturn as a time to take feet off pedals. Efforts have been upped in order to create a strong base for the arrival of the upturn. And this has certainly been true in Salford. A great deal of time has been spent taking stock, working with development partners and adjusting and preparing masterplans over the last year. And although there has been activity on site, it is the work that’s been going on in offices and meeting rooms that is now bearing fruit. It is clear that the city’s private sector development partners are appreciative of these efforts. Peter Crowther, development director at Bruntwood, which is working on the £72 million Irwell River Park scheme, said: “The team at Central Salford URC have done a great job of ensuring that all key stakeholders have remained on board and motivated to deliver during the downturn. While certain parties have been unable to maintain the momentum that the project had

gathered, others have stepped up to take greater responsibility and this has ensured that while the project is not moving as quickly as we would all like, it is moving faster than many of us had expected.” Meaningful progress has also been achieved on the redevelopment of the Salford Central area. Throughout the downturn a planning application has been submitted and approved, funding committed, and public realm improvement works taking place. Development partner English Cities Fund, the joint venture partnership between Legal & General, Muse Developments and the Homes and Communities Agency, is pleased with the progress achieved over these testing times. Phil Mayall, senior development surveyor at Muse Developments, said: “We are definitely pleased with the progress made to date. Funding has been secured and committed for the improvement of the Chapel Street highway itself, which will be a real place changing development, planning permission has been secured and design development is ongoing. “This progress has been achieved by believing in the long term success of the scheme and how it will benefit the city of Salford and therefore continuing to commit necessary time and resource to turn the vision into reality.” In a sense, the fact that times of recession force organisations to work in different ways, and more closely with one another, is a positive side effect of a fairly grim period of time. This co-operation and conferring can often bring about exciting scenarios that wouldn’t necessarily have seen the light of day when everything was running along smoothly.

A great example of this is the formation of the new Northwest Evergreen Fund, brought about through support from the Europe-wide Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas initiative (JESSICA). The European Investment Bank selected the proposal put forward by the Northwest consortium headed by Manchester City Council and the Association of Greater Manchester

Central Salford issue#04 2010

Authorities in July 2010, which is now being used to establish a major regeneration fund to enable vital projects to get moving. The fund, which may eventually be worth up to £300 million over the next ten years, is designed to facilitate the progression of quick-win sustainable projects throughout the region and the suitability of a number of projects within Salford is being currently explored. It is expected the fund will become a major source of investment in the Greater Manchester area within a three to five year period. Central Salford is working closely with CBRE on the Evergreen Fund. John Ogden, senior director of office agency and development at CBRE, says: “Salford has done exceptionally well to maintain and arguably accelerate momentum during difficult economic times. One looks to MediaCityUK, which is a world-class development, that was committed pre-recession but has secured pre-lets during the crisis. “The success of MediaCityUK has really raised Salford’s profile, both nationally and internationally in a location that was once a derelict docks at the end of the Manchester Ship

Canal. The recent pre-lets to the BBC, University of Salford and SIS Live show just how the Salford property/office market has fared during the last two difficult years.” Positive noises from the city’s partners among the private sector will serve as all the encouragement needed by those charged with facilitating its continued development. When external organisations are talking up your city’s opportunities in the middle of one of the least stable financial environments in recent memory, it can only serve to encourage other organisations to take your offer seriously. Karen Hirst, development director, at Central Salford URC said: “There is definitely reason for optimism in Salford once the upturn takes hold. We have all the background and framework in place. We are starting to change the area and change people’s perceptions. More and more people want to come here to work and live. It is so conveniently located, being right next to Manchester city centre, and what we have to do is keep up the momentum, keep up the confidence and look at funding opportunities during this time of cuts.”” n

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MediaCityUK has really raised Salford’s profile, both nationally and internationally

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A great deal has been achieved in Central Salford throughout the downturn. With all the background and framework in place, the scale of opportunity is a definite reason for optimism once the upturn takes hold.

Infrastructure

Making Central Salford Beautiful

Salfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hidden gems were neglected as traffic took over the streets. Mark Smulian finds the gems polished and unattractive spaces transformed into green and walkable streets

Central Salford issue#04 2010

LEFT TOP: Bexley Square transformed. LEFT BELOW: Peel Park and Cathedral Gardens.

alford has a significant historic landscape and natural beauty that belies the outdated ‘dirty old town’ image of the city. Peel Park is at the heart of the University of Salford campus, the Crescent Meadows are tucked away in the oxbow of the River Irwell. The river winds its way through Central Salford and Manchester city centre to The Quays. The international profile built around The Quays, with The Lowry arts centre and Imperial War Museum North, is now being cemented with MediaCityUK – the global media hub that is rapidly nearing completion. So, Central Salford URC’s vision of creating a more beautiful environment borne out of the city’s heritage and natural assets is grounded in reality. While MediaCityUK has been under the local, regional and national spotlight for the last four years, the team at Central Salford URC has been developing the project that was at the heart of this original ‘Vision’. The corporate centre built around Chapel Street will generate over £1 billion of private investment creating more than 20,000 jobs and 5,000 new homes, more in total than MediaCityUK. Indeed there is a clear understanding at Central Salford URC that while MediaCityUK might grab the headlines, it is Chapel Street on which the company’s success will be judged. At the moment, you would be

forgiven for wondering how Chapel Street would inspire a billion pound investment. The A6 running through the heart of the area is one of the busiest, most congested roads into Manchester and given the University of Salford, home to some 20,000 staff and students, is only a ten minute walk away along Chapel Street from Manchester city centre, the area should be thriving with activity. But the vast majority of people and traffic are just passing through, completely unaware of the hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The private sector, both developers and the business community, is absolutely clear about the need for the public sector to deliver infrastructure and environmental improvements to support the serious levels of investment planned, they are also clear that the time is now. Jon Monk, business development manager of the Chapel Street Business Group, said: “We definitely welcome the upgrading of the infrastructure in and around Chapel Street. Everyone has been welcoming the upgrades. It isn’t the easiest time in which to bring this kind of work forward and the public sector has done a good job. It will facilitate the growth of business in the area and everyone is pleased with being able to see progress in places such as the Cathedral Gardens.” The local communities have also made their views clear. Reverend Andy Salmon, chair of the Chapel Street Regeneration Forum and vicar at the local St Philip’s and Sacred Trinity churches, says, “The community wants Chapel Street to be less of a superhighway for cars and more of a street that is user-friendly for local people. We’ve been consulted about what is planned and this project is a response to what people have said – that traffic should be slowed down.” The solution is complex but Central Salford URC, along with its partners, has been hard at work to put the right measures in place to deliver it. These range from community-

BELOW: Chapel Street is currently one of the most congested roads into Manchester.

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It isn’t the easiest time to bring this kind of work forward and the public sector has done a good job

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led neighbourhood environmental improvements through to major projects such as the calming of Chapel Street. Linking these two initiatives will be a network of ‘green and walkable streets’ which will connect the neighbourhood schemes to the major projects. It is clear that if Central Salford URC’s aim of calming the A6 Chapel Street corridor is to work, then road access for commuters and visitors to Manchester has to be maintained without simply building bigger roads elsewhere. The solution involves an integrated transport strategy for the area, recognising that good road access remains essential but reconfiguring the existing road network to provide commuters with alternative routes into the city centre while retaining local access to destinations in Central ➔ Salford. Supporting this strategy is a

Infrastructure

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Improvement has already resulted in attracting 200 new jobs

Green and walkable streets The first phase of ‘green and walkable streets’ projects was completed recently with major investment around Bexley Square and Salford Cathedral Gardens. This linked the ‘city high street’ concept from Chapel Street back into the existing historic area to the north, providing the environment to support local businesses and enhance the area for residents. Improvements to Bexley Square have returned the space to active community use. It has already hosted a vintage market during Chapel Street’s annual festival, Sounds From the Other City. Cathedral Gardens returns a green oasis to the local community. The Dean, Anthony McBride says, “The gardens were replanted to provide a more open and welcoming space. With the regeneration of Chapel Street, more people will want to use the gardens, which now better integrate the cathedral with the street. The cathedral will benefit from that setting; we cleaned the exterior and spires last year to support improvement of the area.” ‘Green and walkable streets’ projects are under way in Ordsall’s Warburton Street and Guy Fawkes Street, flanking Ordsall Hall, supporting improvements to the Grade One listed building. Works total £6.1 million pounds, of which £4.1 million comes from the Heritage Lottery fund. Residents’ wish for traffic calming measures on Phoebe Street and Robert Hall Street are also being supported by a ‘green and walkable streets’ project.

series of public transport projects being delivered, alongside Network Rail and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, to give people a greater range of travel options than just the car. The outcome of this approach can be seen in two major projects under way on the ground – the calming of the A6 Chapel Street and the Quays Gateway. The calming of the A6 Chapel Street is supported by a combination of Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and European funding. It will transform the A6 into a ‘city high street’, with twice the area of public realm, a 20mph speed limit and less road space taken up by traffic. The pavements will be widened, the materials and street furniture will be of the highest quality and there will be vastly improved pedestrian crossings giving Chapel Street’s historic buildings the streetscape they deserve. By autumn 2011 the environment that both local people and investors have been crying out for will be in place. The Quays Gateway, funded by the NWDA is also under way. Centred on the major road junction at the end of the M602 it will provide a high quality gateway not only to The Quays and MediaCityUK but also to Manchester and Central Salford. Vitally, the project addresses the demands of local people for better connections between the communities of Pendleton and Ordsall and to the new site of Oasis MediaCityUK Academy, due to open in 2012. Ordsall Neighbourhood manager, Ross Spanner said, “The community committee identified the need to modernise this landmark site and also heard appeals from cyclists and pedestrian users of the subway under the roundabout. It was prepared to spend its own funds to make the roundabout cleaner, brighter and safer, so these proposed improvements are much needed and have the firm backing of local residents.”

There is also a clear need for an attractive pedestrian and cycle route from Salford Crescent Station and the university campus to The Quays. Nearly 1,000 pedestrians and cyclists a day already use these connections and this number is set to increase massively when MediaCityUK is fully open. Evidence of how such projects can stimulate the private sector is provided by Bruntwood, which owns the Chandlers Point estate at the entrance to Salford Quays. Bruntwood’s development director, Chris Roberts, says: “The work Central Salford URC is doing has given us the confidence to invest in our own estate which we are rebranding Media Point. The improvements we will be making will continue to enhance the character of the area and have already resulted in attracting 200 new jobs.” These projects are current but more will start on site shortly. With a combination of European and private funding a new footbridge will link Manchester’s massive Spinningfields development and Salford’s corporate centre by early next year. And later this year work will start at Greengate, using a combination of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency, NWDA and the European Regional Development Fund to create a fantastic new city centre space with a new bridge link between the two cities, opposite Manchester Cathedral and Harvey Nichols. Through investment in infrastructure and the quality of public spaces, by revealing Salford’s hidden gems, the process of making Central Salford beautiful and reconnecting its communities is well under way. The economic case for investment is absolutely clear, with investors and local communities fully behind the transformation. In four years Central Salford URC has built momentum that will see the place ready to capitalise when the economic good times return. n

Metrolink comes to MediaCityUK From Sept 2010, MediaCityUK will have a new Metrolink extension. The quarter of a mile (0.4km) extension joins the Eccles Metrolink line near the Broadway stop. It connects the new development in the heart of Salford Quays with the rest of the Metrolink network, making it easily accessible from Manchester city centre and Manchester Airport. The big picture Greater Manchester is investing ÂŁ1.4 billion to upgrade and expand Metrolink between now and 2016. This investment will treble the size of the current network, making it the largest tram system in the UK. The Metrolink extension to MediaCityUK is jointly funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Salford City Council and Peel Media.

www.metrolink.co.uk

Beautiful, Vibrant, Prosperous Central Salford is rapidly becoming one of the most desirable locations for investors and developers in the North. The city is changing fast. Beautiful green spaces and stunning waterfronts. Vibrant communities who care about their neighbourhoods. Prosperous corporate centres of the future.

Play a part in our Vision for a Beautiful, Vibrant and Prosperous Central Salford

Download the Vision at: www.centralsalford.com Central Salford Digital World Centre No.1 Lowry Plaza Salford Quays M50 3UB Tel: 0161 686 7400

Central Salford issue#04 2010

Sustainability features can be the first casualty in developments that have been hit hard by the recession. But in Salford, from the largest to the smallest schemes, green technologies and energy saving features are very much in evidence. Noella Pio Kivlehan reports

Greening Salfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future continued over page

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Sustainability LEFT: People are being encouraged to explore their city on foot or by bike. BELOW: MediaCityUK meets the highest BREEAM standards.

alford is being transformed with significant investment bringing development, jobs and opportunities into the city. Central Salford’s £4 billion programme of investment is scheduled over the next 15 years. Delivering this scale of new investment amid the pressure to reduce carbon, and create communities resilient to the impacts of climate change, is achievable because of Salford’s serious and focused commitment to sustainability. In September 2009, the University of Salford’s Climate Clinic drew together the public and experts on climate change to debate the ways in which the world can reduce and cope with global warming. In early 2010, Salford City Council held its own climate change conference – Footprints for the Future – bringing together speakers from the Energy

Saving Trust, Climate Change Agency, MediaCityUK, ENWORKS, GM Waste Disposal Authority and the Environment Agency, to discuss how Salford should respond to climate change. Nick Lowther, head of environmental sustainability at Salford City Council, said: “Sustainability and climate change are huge issues. Sometimes they feel too big and it is really important to break them down into bite sized chunks so that we can see beyond the rhetoric and identify the practical ways to deliver the agenda around reducing our carbon footprint and making the city safe from a changing climate. Making that agenda a reality, through the work of our partners, was an important objective for the conference.” Councillor Derek Antrobus, lead member for planning at Salford City Council, explained the thinking: “The conference was an opportunity to

launch the city’s Climate Change Strategy and share good practice from developers and agencies in Salford. One example was the city’s flagship MediaCityUK development. Developers Peel Media are striving for the highest BREEAM standards, which will set a benchmark for other regeneration projects in Salford and elsewhere. “Central Salford is dominated by the River Irwell and the Manchester Ship Canal,” he said. “The Irwell River Park initiative will improve everyone’s environment and offer more sustainable transport routes through the regional centre, adding to its attractiveness for investors. Water is one of the beauties of Central Salford but we have to learn to live with it. So we have also worked with Countryside Properties on a new development, which reduces flood risk for a deprived community. We have a national pilot project in partnership with

Central Salford issue#04 2010

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House 4 Life

MediaCityUK is a role model for schemes such as the Olympic Park

the Environment Agency to help that community prepare for climate change. Antrobus concludes that the conference demonstrated that green construction and even retrofitting saved on long-term costs and added resilience to businesses and households. “The new Salford that is emerging will be around for a long time,” he said. “And the planning authority will make sure that regeneration contributes to that sustainability.” Salford’s approach to sustainability encompasses both large scale and small scale thinking. Significant investments such as MediaCityUK, Chapel Street and Irwell River Park have impressive sustainability credentials. Within these major schemes, there is considerable concentration on the public realm. People will enjoy a better living environment through the creation of more green and walkable streets, encouraging people out of their cars,

On average, a couple will move home three times in their life to accommodate changes within their family. But a home should be able to grow with its occupants, believes Professor Andrew Thomas, chief executive of the Centre for Construction Innovation and associate head of the Enterprise School of the Built Environment, University of Salford.

to navigate and explore their city by foot or by bike. MediaCityUK is one of the country’s largest sustainable developments. Built in stages with the £500 million phase one development spread over 36 acres, its green credentials are exemplary. As Frank Mills, sustainable building design consultant for Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) testifies, “MediaCityUK is an evolving city, which can adapt and modify to future needs. The development is now a role model for other major schemes, such as the Olympic Park.” The development will have green roofs, shading trees, water features, including evaporative cooling and a micro-climate. Buildings which include a 218-bed-hotel, seven HD and two audio studios, will use a combined heat and power plant energy system known as TriGen, which reduces CO2 emissions. ➔ Developers, Peel Media, say they

To achieve this, House 4 Life has been launched in conjunction with Central Salford URC, Salford City Council, Building Research Establishment, Centre for Construction Innovation, the Royal Institute of British Architects, Homes and Communities Agency and Northwest Regional Development Agency, to build sustainable homes, which can be built to adapt to peoples needs. The scheme will be located within the development area of Greengate and has been advanced as a partnership between the stakeholders and a multitude of organisations. Describing the scheme as “a ground breaking and innovative concept” Professor Thomas said, “This is a solution that calls on the market to respond to a call for truly flexible design and sustainable product solutions to enable a whole of life solution. House 4 Life takes the simple view that we tend to build homes that are good for when people buy them, but when their life changes they need to accommodate the changes, so why can’t we accommodate those changes within the same building?” The concept, which will have numerous sustainable features, allows for the design to grow and adapt with a family over time. For example, if the family wants more space, modules could be dropped onto the roof space giving a typical family of four the additional space they need.

Sustainability

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The virtual town will enable you to plug in and save energy Derek Duffill

have built MediaCityUK as the world’s first scheme to become a BREEAM approved sustainable community, incorporating world leading sustainability into the design. BREEAM excellent buildings were one of the BBC’s main criteria for taking space at MediaCityUK. BBC Workplace portfolio director, Alan Bainbridge, explains: “MediaCityUK did stand out among other sites. We wanted something that was sustainable because the BBC has to lead by example and being part of the campus is important. It’s all part of the one community and we want to be part of that community. Another important criterion was how people would get to and from our location. And with MediaCityUK, there are great transport links with the trams stopping outside, which is brilliant.” While reducing CO2 emissions coming from commercial buildings, Salford is also championing more investment in green infrastructure. A report by Natural Economy Northwest, The Economic Value of Green Infrastructure, states: “[Green infrastructure] can underpin the success of other economic sectors, offering an improved environment, jobs, sustainable business enterprises, social benefits, economic security and cost savings.” Salford Central is the old civic heart of Salford, the focus of transformation over the next 15-20 years that will generate over £1 billion of private investment, creating more than 11,000 jobs and 849 new homes. But it is bisected by the A6 and Chapel Street, carrying some of the highest traffic flows into Manchester. Major work is under way to reduce traffic, creating a better physical environment. Funded by the Eurpoean Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the first phase of investment in public infrastructure to divert traffic from Chapel Street is due to complete in Autumn 2010. Phase two will reduce the street’s speed limit to 20mph; major improvements to the public realm will include new street furniture, lighting,

signage, tree-planting and widening of footpaths; a new public square at Salford Cathedral and pedestrian crossing points to improve connectivity. The NWDA, Salford City Council and Central Salford URC, who have led the project with developer partner English Cities Fund (ECf), hope the result will revitalise the historic heart of the city. As stated in The Economic Value of Green Infrastructure, as well as providing environmental benefits, “studies suggest that climate change services provided through green infrastructure are also an economic opportunity.” The Irwell River Park project embodies this economic opportunity, providing sustainability and green infrastructure benefits to support national priorities for a

low carbon economy. It has the potential to connect over £3 billion of public and private sector investment along its route, with new links between employment and visitor centres that will enhance and increase connectivity and accessibility to support future economic growth. Mike Savage, operations manager for Red Rose Forest explains: “Irwell River Park can be seen as retrofitting a green and sustainable transport corridor into the heart of the regional centre. For Greater Manchester to realise its potential, it must also achieve a vastly improved quality of environment, which will support land values, investment and tourism.” Irwell River Park will create a great destination for businesses, residents and visitors alike. n

Virtual savings Salford-based company ENER-G, along with the University of Salford and Salford City Council, has come up with an innovative way of testing how to save money and the planet through sustainable building methods – by creating a virtual town. Derek Duffill, managing director of ENER-G, which develops, finances and delivers renewable and energy-efficient power generation and management schemes, explains: “The virtual town will enable you to plug in and see how much energy is going to be used and how to save energy by using different means.” Duffill says the building will be typical of the type found in and around any city, such as leisure centres and apartment blocks. “It is a bit like [virtual reality game] Sim City,” says Duffill, “but the idea

is not about making money out of the software, it’s about how much money can be saved in making a building sustainable.” The two-year project should start having proper output in six months once the technology is in place. ENER-G, which won two awards in the Salford Business Awards 2010, will also be discussing how it can use its knowledge and technology to support the transformation of Chapel Street, which Duffill describes as “a major redevelopment for Salford.” Duffill adds: “New development in Chapel Street will want to be very energy efficient and we can help Salford City Council, Central Salford URC and partners achieve that. We can develop energy systems for the regeneration of heat through cooling. We can work it in many different ways.”

Find sanctuary in the city Riverside by Bruntwood

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