Looking East #1 by 3Fox

LE p1 cover v6:Layout 1

13/12/06

14:35

Page 1

New East Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official regeneration magazine. Issue One Winter 2006/07

LookingEast Issue One Winter 2006/07

LookingEast www.lookingeastmagazine.com

High-tech industrial revolution The Commonwealth Games legacy Sportcityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bid for casino The new urban living Waterside regeneration

LE p1 cover v6:Layout 1

13/12/06

14:35

Page 2

LE p3 contents :LE Pages

18/12/06

13:33

Page 03

Contents 03

LookingEast Editor Sarah Herbert sarah@3foxinternational.com Contributors David Blackman, David Callaghan Advertisement sales Lee Harrison lee@3foxinternational.com Design Michael Booth, Faine Gow Production Lucy Morris, Sue Mapara Managing director Toby Fox toby@3foxinternational.com Printed by Trade Winds Images New East Manchester, ASK Developments, Ian Simpson Architects, Urban Splash, Heatherwick Studio, One Central Park, Len Grant, Fujitsu, EDAW, Arup City Modeling, City of Manchester Library, Daniel Hopkinson Published by 3Fox International 3rd Floor Lansdowne House 3-7 Northcote Road London SW11 1NG T: 020 7978 6840 F: 020 7978 6837 For New East Manchester Ltd

04 Overview Eastern promise 14 Roots Man and boy 18 Central Park Industrial evolution 26 Commonwealth Out of the blocks 32 Sportcity Sporting chance 36 Thought process Holt Town 40 Waterside On the waterfront 48 Then and now Royal Mills 50 Directory Advertisement features 38 Bryant Homes

187 Grey Mare Lane Beswick, Manchester M11 3NE Marketing manager Gill Gourley gill@neweastmanchester.com Publicity officer Michael Travers michael@neweastmanchester.com Subscriptions and feedback To register for free subscriptions and/or to offer your comments visit www.LookingEastMagazine.com ÂŠ 3Fox International Limited 2006. 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 New East Manchester.

Advertisers Persimmon, Seamark, Langtree Group, City South Developments, One Central Park, Manchester Science Park, Manchester College of Arts and Technology, Ask Developments, Countryside Properties, Isis Waterside Regeneration, Eastland Homes, New East Manchester, Northwest Development Agency

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:31

Page 4

Overview 04

Eastern promise People mainly remember east Manchester as the host to the Commonwealth Games. But look again: its location, heritage and huge population, coupled with vast amounts of local determination, mean it’s becoming a force to be reckoned with.

GNEW FAMILY HOMES IN BESWICK, BY GLEESON

became one of the most deprived areas in the UK. While the population is now stabilising, levels of economic inactivity are still far too high: in June 2004 unemployment was 9%, compared with the Manchester figure of 6.4%, the North West average of 2.4% and the UK average of 2.3%, and the percentage of economically active people is just 50%, compared to 69% across England as a whole. Not surprisingly, all the neighbourhoods are in the country’s 5% most deprived, according to the 2004 Index of Multiple Deprivation. With the remit to deliver a long-term strategic vision for the physical, social and economic renaissance of the area, New East Manchester (NEM), one of the UK’s first designated urban regeneration

companies (URCs), was formed in late 1999. It is a partnership between Manchester City Council, English Partnerships, the North West Development Agency and the communities of east Manchester. One of the original three pilot URCs in the country, NEM’s role is to implement the regeneration framework, secure the required public and private funding, lead on specific major development projects and co-ordinate the range of regeneration and renewal initiatives in the area. Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, says: “The comprehensive, integrated and long-term regeneration of east Manchester make it unique. Our aim is to address the key social, economic and environmental challenges in the east Manchester area so we can

ast Manchester is a vast area. Its 1,900 hectares stretch from the city centre fringe to the edge of the city boundary, encompassing everything from the world’s first industrial suburb at Ancoats to the 2002 Commonwealth Games site, as well as vast tracts of ex-industrial land, waterways, and social housing in neighbourhoods including Miles Platting, Beswick, Openshaw, Clayton, Newton Heath and Gorton. East Manchester is now building on the richness and strength of the past, and capitalising on the opportunities made available by the Commonwealth Games, with the aim of becoming the place in the city to live, work and visit. The area was at the heart of the industrial revolution, developing at a dizzying pace in the 19th and early 20th century as a home to the traditional heavy manufacturing industries – textiles, chemicals, steel and engineering – on which the wealth of Manchester itself was founded. The area saw its first hint of problems in the depression of the 1930s, but it was the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s that hit it hard. Between 1970 and 1985 it lost 60% of its economic base, with a consequent decline in jobs, skills, population and housing. Since 1985 this decline has continued, albeit less dramatically, with the population falling by a further 13% in the 1990s, when east Manchester

East Manchester is building on the richness and strength of the past, and capitalising on the opportunities from the Commonwealth Games, with the aim of becoming the place in which to live, work and visit.

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:44

Page 5

GANCOATS URBAN VILLAGE

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:44

Page 6

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:32

Page 7

Overview

In 2000, NEM’s board set out its targets

existing homes

G Create more than 10,000 new jobs

in the area

G Complete the Sportcity complex

In the five years since its formation, although much remains to be done, NEM has already

G Created more than 3,000 new jobs G Reduced unemployment to 5.3%

(by the end of 2005), with a further 6,000 in the pipeline G Built two new primary schools G Established a visitors' centre at Sportcity G Extensively improved the Ashton Canal corridor G Overseen house price rises in some areas of 108% since 2000 G Introduced recruitment and training campaigns for local people with new employers entering the area G Established an intensive employment support service to support the hardest to reach clients into work G Enabled 500 local companies to be supported by specialist business advisors G Reversed the previously very high levels of heart disease, cancer and teenage pregnancies

07 As Tom Russell, chief executive of New East Manchester, says: “We’re making pretty good progress on our objectives. They do look challenging, and seemed daunting when the board decided on them in early 2000, but I’ve been really pleased with the progress made.” “With businesses and jobs, we estimate that there’s been 72,000sq m of retail, industrial and commercial space since we got started. The target there was about 126,000sq m, so we’re more than half-way there, but we can do a lot better. “The late 20th-century slump had its most immediate impact on the area, but knocked the economic stuffing out of the city,” he says. “We’ve continued losing manufacturing and jobs ever since. There’s no doubt that the overall trend is for manufacturing to move towards the

GNEW HOMES BY LOVELL, BESWICK

G Increase the population to 90,000 G Construct 12,500 new homes G Improve and modernise 7,000

G Completed 3,500 units of new housing

provide a fresh, dynamic and sustained regeneration that will improve the lives of people living and working in the area.”

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:45

Page 8

GCOUNTRYSIDE PROPERTIES’S SPORTCITY LIVING DEVELOPMENT

Perceptions among residents are improving. In July 2005, 68% said that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their neighbourhood, compared with 46% in June 1999.

low-wage areas of the Pacific Rim and Far East. Therefore, any manufacturing industries here have had to become lean and fit in order to survive. We want to keep manufacturing, and the jobs they create, but if we’re looking for growth we have to look to other sectors too. We can also build on our natural assets. Topographically Manchester is flat and boring, but is fantastically connected. We have so much potential for regeneration.” Robert Hough, NEM’s chairman, continues. “East Manchester’s regeneration is linked to the concept of knowledge capital. We have to align ourselves with the concept of added value — that’s where prosperity lies. Central Park [business park] will change the quality of life by employing local people, setting new benchmarks for the area, and raising aspirations.” “Housebuilding has probably been the strongest area over the past six years,” says Russell. “Because we’ve been working very actively with development partners it looks like we’ll exceed the, previously daunting, target of 12,500 new houses. We won’t do it in the original timeframe of 10 years, but it’s more important to reach the objective itself. When we started it was difficult to interest housebuilders as the market was pretty depressed, but we’ve been very pleased with the very strong response.

I TOM RUSSELL BA, MA 2001 - present Chief executive, New East Manchester 1999 - 2002 Deputy chief executive (regeneration), Manchester City Council, responsible for regeneration, funding, planning and economic development 1997 -1999 Assistant chief executive, MCC 1995 -1997 Assistant chief executive, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 1991 -1995 Head of resource procurement, MCC 1987 -1991 Head of inner cities unit, MCC Pre 1987 Numerous roles in housing and local authorities

n 2001, there were 17,000 dwellings, home to 30,000 people, in large tracts of Victorian terraced housing. Supply greatly exceeded demand, with many areas becoming derelict. Terraced houses were worth practically nothing, creating significant negative equity. All the new housing developments address the issues that led to the original depopulation: crime, due to badly designed estates; lack of amenities; and lack of choice for homeowners, who then go elsewhere. But it’s not all about knocking down houses. Five years ago one road of houses in Beswick had become so unpopular that each one was only worth £5,000. Landlords would buy them up in bulk, and fill them with any old tenants. Crime was rife, and people were scared to come out of their front doors. To address the problem, New East Manchester employed community wardens, installed CCTV and built garden walls to create a sense of ownership. Now each house is worth £80,000. Where existing homes have been replaced with newly built alternatives delicate negotiations were needed with residents, many of whom have lived in the area all their lives. Consultation began at an early stage, with the masterplan shown to residents, and their requests taken on board. All residents can stay in their area if they

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:45

Page 9

Overview

tram system, to pass through east Manchester, linking many of the new developments including Islington Wharf and New Islington with the city centre. It will pass through the proposed Holt Town site, serve Sportcity and the City of Manchester Stadium, and a second line will link to the Gateway transport interchange at the enormous Central Park business park. This is fantastically good news. “The extension of Metrolink is vital for the regeneration of the area and has been part of our plans since day one,” says Hough. “The development of a modern, efficient public transport system is extremely important in maintaining the momentum of regeneration.” Ben Coster, of developer Countryside Properties (which has a development at Sportcity), predicted that the announcement will mean more investment in the area. “With quick and convenient access to Metrolink on the doorstep, more and more newcomers and local people will be attracted to the area. People are the vital ingredient in successful regeneration and the residential market continues to play an important role for east Manchester.” Says Hough: “What’s going on here is regeneration with a social purpose. It’s not just for the current residents, but for future incomers. It’s a sea change for the area. We’re all about generating

ROBERT HOUGH, DL, LLB, CFILT, DBA, DLITT 2002- present Chairman, New East Manchester 1987- 2002 Chairman, Manchester Ship Canal 1986 - present Director, Peel Holdings 1989 - present Deputy chairman, Peel Holdings 1995 -1999 Chairman of organising committee of Manchester Commonwealth Games 2002 Mayor of the games village during the Commonwealth Games G He is also nonexecutive chairman of Cheshire Building Society, and nonexecutive director of Alfred McAlpine, Robert Turley Associates and P J Kennedy Investments.

opportunity, improving the quality life and attracting others.” A mid-term evaluation of New East Manchester by Liverpool John Moores University says there’s been very good progress, but the regeneration is still fragile. “You don’t turn around an area that’s been in decline for 30 or 40 years in the space of five,” says Russell. “It’s good, but without sustained commitment by partners and stakeholders, it could as easily go into reverse as maintain positive momentum. Never stand still, or you start slipping backwards. We have to remind ourselves that we’re here because the area’s got problems. In a way, the sooner we’re no longer required, as soon as we do ourselves out of a job, that’s when we know it’s been a success.” Hough concurs: “The Commonwealth Games was the anchor and catalyst for the area’s regeneration, transforming a huge area. It was a fundamental driver for regeneration, and we’ve managed a huge amount since. But we mustn’t take our foot off the gas. We’ve been lucky with a buoyant economy, and helpful planning and education policies, but it’s very important that we continue the work. The important thing is that we’ve been touching peoples’ lives.” G

GGATEWAY INTERCHANGE, NEAR ONE CENTRAL PARK

choose, so communities are preserved, and NEM guarantees their housing costs will be no higher than before. Perceptions among residents are improving. In July 2005, 68% said that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their neighbourhood, compared with 46% in June 1999, and 60% feeling their neighbourhood was getting better, compared to 17% in 1999. “What gives me the most pleasure is the way NEM has improved what we can baldly call ‘resident satisfaction levels’,” says Robert Hough, NEM’s chairman. “In real terms it’s about residents’ pride in their neighbourhoods, and their increased aspirations. They love what’s been happening, and it is the residents who’ve done a lot of the work.” As for education, when NEM started performance in east Manchester schools was 10 percentage points below the Manchester average, which is pretty poor in itself. In many cases, it has now overtaken this average. “But that’s not good enough,” says Russell. “We want to be better than the national average. Enormous strides have been made, but it’s invisible. Long-term sustainability probably lies more in education than in attracting new office buildings.” Every aspect of regeneration is going to be helped by the approval this summer, after a long wrangle, of the extension to Metrolink, Manchester’s

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:45

Page 10

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:45

Page 11

Overview GRUNNING MAN, SPORTCITY

What’s happened already? Sportcity

This 185ha high-tech business park is the largest of its kind in the country. The first phase, developed by Ask:Akeler, opened last year, features Fujitsu’s new Manchester office and two on-spec office schemes. The site includes the dramatic Gateway transport interchange, whose future is looking especially bright with the Metrolink tram system extension go-ahead. At the heart of the scheme is One Central Park, a unique collaboration between three universities, business incubation units, and research facilities, creating a ‘knowledge mill’, which turns knowledge into high-value goods and services. G For the full story, see page 18.

The 26ha built legacy of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, including the stadium originally built for track and field and now home to Manchester City Football Club, seating 48,000, provides both elite and community facilities, and attracts visitors, and therefore income, to the area. Countryside Properties has joined in, creating a development of more than 700 homes, 200 of which are finished, with the whole scheme due to finish late 2008. The biggest plan for the future is the bid for a regional casino on 7.6ha of the site. G For the full story, see page 32.

Central Park

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:32

Page 12

Overview 12

What’s happening now? New Islington and Ancoats New Islington is Manchester’s Millennium Community, where developer Urban Splash, with NEM and English Partnerships, is replacing the run-down and depopulated Cardroom Estate with exciting architecture, 1,734 new homes, which include a mix of housing types and tenures, community facilities, 3,000m of revived canals, 100,000sq m of open spaces for wildlife and fishing, and even an orchard. The first phase of 23 affordable homes by architect FAT is finished, with work under way on De Metz Architects’ Piercy Street scheme, and Alsop’s Chips building. The £250 million, 29ha development is designed to be low-energy and sustainable. At the World Heritage Site of Ancoats, the magnificent collection of mill buildings, many listed, are being transformed into housing and small business units, with the burst of activity at New Islington acting as a spur to development. G For more on New Islington and Ancoats, see page 44.

Housing The huge task of constructing 12,500 new homes and improving 7,000 more has already begun. In Beswick, Lovell and Gleeson are on site with a variety of home sizes, featuring innovative designs aiming to attract all income groups to the area, perhaps as an alternative to the city centre. Social facilities, such as doctors, childcare and libraries, are clustered together to increase accessibility for residents.

Lower Medlock Valley

Holt Town

A masterplan for a high-quality, high-value housing scheme for this 18ha river valley site near the city centre will be developed early next year, and will go on site in the autumn. Unlike the rest of east Manchester, this area has never been developed and parts of it have to be protected environmentally, but the idea is to attract higher income earners to boost the economy. A consortium of developers has been drawn up to work on various sizes of sites, in different styles and densities. The rest of the 90ha Medlock Valley is being improved over the next three years to become a valuable resource of public space. G See page 46 for more details.

Touted as the world’s first ‘uburb’, this 34ha redevelopment will transform the run-down ex-industrial area between Sportcity and the city centre into a new family neighbourhood. Cibitas Investments chose EDAW to masterplan the scheme, with architect Studio Egret West producing innovative housing schemes. The framework will be complete by the end of the year, and the actual project will take 15 years to complete. G See page 36 for the thinking behind the project.

GFAT’S NEW ISLINGTON HOUSING

What’s in the pipeline?

LE p4-13 overview + ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:45

Page 13

LE p14-16 roots +ad:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:50

Page 14

G JOHN SMITH PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEN GRANT

LE p14-16 roots +ad:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:37

Page 15

Roots 15

Man and boy One area that has seen dramatic change over the past few decades is the ex-industrial heartland of Openshaw. So just what has it been like to live through all the ups and downs? John Smith, long-time resident, talks us through. good for the community. Although some are complaining, most of the new housing is popular. After my original workplace was demolished I went out to Trafford Park, but they eventually started laying people off, and I ended up back in Openshaw at one of the remaining manufacturing companies GEC, where I was an electrical engineer. When I started there it employed 3,000, but during the mid-80s that went down to 400. Though they wouldn’t make me redundant, however much I asked! It’s a great shame. There were lots of skilled men in the area, at GEC, English Steel, Armstrong Whitworths. You could walk out of one job, straight into another. Now the skills are all gone. I can’t remember seeing anyone doing an apprentice, even when I still worked at GEC. The job opportunities for skilled work around here are not great. And the discipline of work has gone. There’s nothing like the seven-year apprenticeships GEC did, where you had to keep up the effort or you’d gradually be dropped. Although education is better round here, with some adequate secondary schools, there are still a lot of no-hopers. The opportunities are there, but lots of young people don’t take them. The pollution was terrible though – at least now I suppose we have the advantage of clean air. All the pubs have gone, though – there isn’t the money. The community’s still very stable,

though, thanks to the financial support the area’s received. How do I see the future for the area? A sign of success is people investing in the area; putting their money where their mouth is. And people are buying. I think it started with the Commonwealth Games. Just building the facilities generated a lot of employment. It coincided with the rest of the city taking off, after years of stagnation, fuelled by the games and the building of the Trafford Centre. Of course, I wish it had happened before. And when it started, I wish it had happened more quickly. The plans for Toxteth Street were mooted four years ago, but it’s only just started. It used to frustrate me, but now I realise that these things take time. Lots of people complain, but never come to any of the meetings about the regeneration. I’m on lots of the committees. You get a lot of single-issue residents, who come about something that directly affects them, then never come back once it’s solved. They need to realise it’s not about the individual but the community.

lived in the same house in Openshaw for 50 years. And I’ve always been very happy. We faced the park, so the view was always open – the real trouble happened behind us. The changes here have been dramatic. When I first moved there, Openshaw was the workshop of Manchester, and the houses were surrounded by industry. I worked a five-minute walk from my house. Now there’s none of it left. It’s all be cleared away, and replaced by housing, most of it council but some private sector. Where English Steel used to be Openshaw Village was built. That was where all the trouble was. It was the people there that made the difference. Once the jobs had gone, people lost their tie to the area. And when the twoup, two-down terraces were cleared, they were replaced with council housing which didn’t really work, including the notorious walk-up Fort Beswick , designed on crescent block principals. That deteriorated very rapidly. People ousted by the clearances were scattered around the rest of east Manchester, and lost their connection to Openshaw. Those who stayed remained faithful to the area, and have been rewarded with the regeneration. The council houses at the top end of the ward are being modernised, with new kitchens and rewiring, which is going down very well. Houses that need to be replaced are being demolished in phases, giving people the choice of staying in the area. That’s

A sign of success is people investing in the area; putting their money where their mouth is. People are buying.

LE p14-16 roots +ad:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:50

Page 16

Roots We’ve created community gardens, and tackled run-down properties. One abandoned property encourages it’s neighbours to go too. 16

About Openshaw GAN EXAMPLE OF A STREET IN OPENSHAW, BEFORE NEM INTERVENTION

By 1996, just before New East Manchester (NEM) started its regeneration programme, the cigar-shaped area of Openshaw, based around Ashton Old Road was one of east Manchester’s most deprived areas, blighted by crime and poor housing. Old people were prisoners in their own homes, isolated between firebombed houses, or terrified of joyriders tearing around estates at night. Industry jobs had halved in 10 years, and there were no facilities for young people, with all the youth clubs and libraries closed. One Post Office was raided six times in five years. The property market collapsed, with people who’d paid more than £20,000 for their houses selling for as little as £1,000 just to get out. One house was broken into by knocking through the party wall with the neighbouring abandoned house. Everything was stolen, including the £300 burglar alarm.

GTHE NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART HEALTH CENTRE IN OPENSHAW

Sean McGonigle, co-ordinator of NEM’s New Deal for Communities team, says: “It’s good that people like John, who started off negative about what we were trying to do, have stuck it out, to become valuable members of the community. There can be something of a ‘What have the Romans ever done for us’ mentality, as NEM has done a lot of little things which have made the difference , rather than one big move. For example, before our time Gate Street was a small street of 25 or so houses, and a chip shop, in Lower Openshaw. Some houses were owner-occupied, some rented. Its problems started with one young resident who ran riot, terrorising the street, breaking into houses, having loud parties, you name it. Within four months, those who could move out had done so. The street was bought by compulsory purchase order and demolished. No-one objected. G

LE p14-16 roots +ad:LE Pages

13/12/06

14:50

Page 17

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:00

Page 18

CentralPark 18

Industrial evolution On the site of the original cotton mills, such a vital part of the industrial revolution 200 years ago, a new cradle of industry has taken shape – Central Park.

boldly designed statement of intent towards public transport. The first phase was developed by Ask:Akeler. The priorities were to create a strong main entrance, a freeflowing internal roadway network, and infrastructure services within defined zones to ensure minimal future disturbance and establish a lasting, quality landscape. The park can accommodate a broad range of company sizes, with optimum frontages to all parts of the park, and a commitment to high standards of design quality defined by the masterplan. The first tenant, Fujitsu, opened its 15,000sq m, £30 million Manchester office there last spring, with the threebuilding site accommodating 900 staff. The next developments by Ask:Akeler will be a village of five office units, totalling 4,500sq m, which started on site this autumn, and a 12,600 office building for larger corporate occupiers. As Tom Russell, chief executive of New East Manchester (NEM), said: “One of the most important things we have to do is get the economy of east Manchester going again, which means attracting businesses that have the best prospects for growth. We’re never going to reinvent heavy manufacturing in this country, and with the way technology’s moved on, even if we did attract them, they wouldn’t employ anywhere near as many people as they used to. M

t 185 hectares, with room for 500,000sq m of commercial space, Central Park will be both the UK’s first large-scale urban business park, and the only one totally dedicated to high-tech industries. It is at the very heart of hopes for east Manchester’s new economy. The business park’s 90ha initial phase is expected to generate up to 4,600 jobs, in both the ICT and knowledge-based sectors, and the sort of commercial enterprises that will be attracted by the park’s gravitational pull: hotels, conference facilities and commercial offices. A further 6,000 new jobs are expected to be created once the entire project is completed, in five to ten years’ time, making it a major employment base in the wider Manchester conurbation, not just east Manchester. The park’s location is one of its main advantages. It’s close to the city centre and all its facilities, but also has links to the national motorway network within a few minutes drive. What should really make it take off, however, is the recent decision, after years of wrangling, to extend the Metrolink tram service from the city centre to Rochdale and Oldham, which will link up with the main-line passenger rail and various bus routes at Central Park’s new £36.5 million Gateway transport interchange, a

Facts and figures Central Park’s 90ha phase one includes 129,926sq m of commercial floor space, including: G 97,560sq m of premium office space G 11,148sq m of living/work space G 11,148sq m to be developed for hotel and conference facilities G 9,290sq m major science, enterprise and learning centre, in the form of One Central Park.

Did you know...

G 65 of the FTSE100 companies have a presence in the Greater Manchester area G 10% of all the software companies in the UK are based in Greater Manchester G 17% of the adult population holds graduate or postgraduate level qualifications

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:00

Page 19

GCENTRAL PARK’S ATRIUM

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:00

Page 20

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:39

Page 21

CentralPark 21

It’s close to the city centre, and all its facilities, but has links to the national motorway network within a few minutes’ drive.

GOCP’S CATERING FACILITIES

ne factor attracting Fujitsu is another of Central Park’s great advantages — the trained labour pool on its doorstep, including the 6,000 students studying computer-related topics in Manchester, the 85,000 general students in the city, or the 336,000 students within one hour's drive of Manchester. Even closer to home, it has the local east Manchester population, set to increase to 90,000 within 10 years. As Russell says: “It’s enormously significant to future generations. We have a low skills base, with a lot of

unskilled or semi-skilled labour. Their children and grandchildren need the skills to compete in the new economy.” This is where One Central Park (OCP) comes in, the metaphorical heart of the business park. The brand-new 8,500sq m development includes the UK’s first university-led centre of excellence for IT entrepreneurial training at all levels, as well as incubator space for start-ups, further and higher education, research space for the universities, and even a restaurant. As Robin Procter, past professor at UMIST and consultant to OCP, puts it: “The critical aspect is that young people with no education can see people their own age running their own businesses. They can see the route from basic training, to hot desk, to an incubator, the science park, and maybe to other buildings in Central Park. It raises both aspirations and educational standards.”

“Central Park has been core to this. Securing Fujitsu sends a fantastic message. Getting a major multi-national IT company, after looking at all the options across the country, to choose east Manchester as the place it wants to do business, is a real coup.”

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:00

Page 22

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:40

Page 23

CentralPark 23

So what goes on in One Central Park? G Manchester College of Art and Technology (MANCAT) learning centre, providing training, advice and guidance, assessment and support for individuals and businesses, as well as employment and careers advice. There is also a drop-in computer suite for local communities. G Manchester New Technology Institute, which offers training in hightechnology for people across the North West. Its ICT training has £1.36 millionworth of the latest equipment and software. Facilities include programming and business information technology suites, three CISCO labs, wireless networking capabilities and Microsoft teaching suites. G Business creation units, including Venture Space business support, which tests ideas and turns them into a business proposal. A 12-month training programme in enterprise and innovation, called Enterprise Direct, helps individuals develop their own business ideas.

G Event facilities. Lecture theatres, meeting rooms.

knowledge into high added-value goods and services designed, manufactured and delivered by the local community. In the process it stimulates the creation of jobs, investment and opportunities in the community and, by both training local people and by attracting highearning ambitious men and women, raises the area’s human capital and diversity and provide a firm foundation for long term economic growth. Its aim is to become a source of well-founded business ideas, a place where ideas can be tested technically and commercially, and where new business can start up. “What made this area 150 years ago was the cotton mills processing cotton to yarn, which created demand for

G A post-graduate research facility. The research feeds back into the knowledge base of the companies on the industrial park.

hile none of its individual components is unique, One Central Park is the first centre in the UK to offer further and higher education programmes under one roof, together with opportunities for nurturing enterprise and growing businesses. It’s also the first time the city’s three universities — the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Salford University — have been tempted away from their campuses. The universities are three of the five partners to share the 250-year lease, the other two being Manchester Science Park and MANCAT. OCP is sometimes referred to as a ‘knowledge mill’, converting raw

GONE CENTRAL PARK

G The Technology Centre, run by the University of Manchester Incubator Company and Manchester Science Park (in an offshoot of its university-area science park established in 1984) which provides anything from hot desks to a full office suite, along with grant support, business training, and access to research.

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:00

Page 24

CentralPark 24 GONE CENTRAL PARK GFUJITSU’S OFFICE GINSIDE ONE CENTRAL PARK

It’s aim is to become a source of well-founded business ideas, a place where ideas can be tested technically and commercially, and where new business can start up.

chemicals, electric motors and other innovations, which in turn created new societies and new ways of thinking,” said David Aukland, director of OCP. “Today’s raw material is knowledge. This building converts that knowledge to new business and services, through the medium of entrepreneurial small companies. Like the old mills, One Cental Park will create jobs and wealth.” Russell is thrilled with OCP. “Although it was a challenge in making the partnerships with the universities and colleges work, along with eight or nine funding streams, the fact that the universities were prepared to commit themselves was a hugely important signal to send out about our commitment to high-end, high-skill economy. It’s early days, but synergies are emerging. “Someone can come off the street, sign up with a course at MANCAT, go on to do a degree, see new businesses in the incubator, have an idea, and be able to do something about it. It’s all about raising aspirations. It does not say what people are so used to hearing – that you can get an NVQ2, but that’s about what you’re worth. It’s saying if you really want it you can go all the way, to running your own business or getting a degree or carrying out research.”

enture Space (VS) helps young companies get off the ground, with public funding from Manchester Science Enterprise Centre. Physically, it offers subsidised space to young business and inexperienced entrepreneurs in a 400sq m open-plan office space with desks, PCs and other office equipment. As the companies grow, they move on to other, larger premises in OCP. VS also offers training – anything from evening classes in general business management to sales training. Deals with outsourced services such as finance and law give their fledgling companies access to advice they would otherwise not be able to afford. For

companies which look promising, VS offers seedcorn funding. Among its success stories is Tree2MyDoor, which trebled its turnover between March and September this year. Duo Design came to OCP as an established, but small, company. Andrew Rose had been looking for new premises with enough space for expansion, but was finding it hard to find somewhere within his price range in south Manchester, the company’s previous location. He hadn’t considered anywhere else, until a friend suggested OCP. “I’m glad we came,” says Rose. “We get better space, with a canteen and everything, and the modern design of the building, along with nearby Fujitsu, portrays what we’re about to clients. It’s made us up our game – the smart offices match the work we do.” But it’s not just the physical environment that has been of benefit. “We came here thinking it was all about the offices, and the perception of our firm, but have got much more out of it. We knew the skills we wanted our new staff to have, but OCP helped us with all the other human factors that go into recruiting the right staff. The monthly networking sessions with New East Manchester have been very useful – we even got work from one session – and East Manchester Business advisors have held our hand during the recruitment process.” It’s early days, but the signs are encouraging. OCP, Central Park and the local population are developing a symbiotic relationship, with OCP providing the opportunities for further and higher education, raising aspirations, and producing readily trained staff, ripe for working at one of the companies in the park. As Jane Davies, CEO of Manchester Science Park, puts it: “One Central Park should have everything a 16-year-old would need to move from playing computer games to running a company that writes them.” G

LE p18-24 central park +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:00

Page 25

LE p26-29 Comm G :LE Pages

13/12/06

15:05

Page 26

Commonwealth 26

Out of the blocks Few people questioned the success of the Commonwealth Games of 2002 as a sporting event – the fantastic spectacle helped to put Manchester into an elite club of major games hosts. But there’s another, more important, aspect to the success – its legacy. Agency to draw up a framework for change in the area. The framework included an implementation timetable for initiatives leading all the way to 2010. As the Games, of course, came just three years after that framework had been published there was much still to do once they had finished. Jane Deane, NEM’s project director, explains the agency’s approach: “We wanted to look at how we could use the Games as a tool for regeneration. We decided to focus on a small number of strategic priorities to benefit from the momentum of the Games.” The pitfalls of hosting such huge sporting events have been amply demonstrated by the Sydney and, even more so, the Athens Olympic Games. Venues built for specific sports now lie empty and disused, leaving the respective governments with large bills to maintain those buildings with no hope of return on their investment. To avoid such traps, according to Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese, Manchester looked at how other cities had staged both Commonwealth and Olympic Games, and found that in almost all cases the host country failed to capitalise on the opportunities they had. The exception was Barcelona, he says, and Manchester’s leaders looked closely at what had been done in Spain after the 1992 Olympics. “No building was put up unless there was a

long-term use identified for it after the Games. Even the stadium would have been a temporary structure if a secure future had not been established,” he says. “We weren’t going to create white elephants. The sports facilities were created for elite athletes, but each one had a community use as well.”

n Manchester, most of the Games venues were pulled together into one site, Sportcity (see following feature for the full story). They are run as going concerns, with the facilities for squash and cycling now achieving the status of national centres, and the tennis courts becoming a regional centre. The stadium, of course, is now the home of Premiership football club Manchester City, giving a permanent occupant with a rich history, strong fan base and stable income. (The club’s old ground, Maine Road has been demolished and is to be replaced by housing.) “Manchester City is a real community club,” says Deane. “It had a good track record of doing things for the community at Maine Road, and has continued that in the new stadium. The club now has a stadium to rival that of Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, somewhere it can stay for decades, and which earns money out of season via concerts in the summer.”

illions of people worldwide watching medals being won or lost were impressed that a British city could excel in its handling of hosting responsibility. Now the pressure is on London to produce an Olympic Games in 2012 to match Manchester’s record and be acclaimed as the best ever. But what happens once the games are over? What happens to the facilities and, in particular, the main stadium? In East London, there are ambitious plans for regeneration of the Olympic area, including new communities, with shops, and even a water city. In Manchester’s case, there were strenuous efforts to ensure the stadium did not become a white elephant, and that the area of east Manchester where the Commonwealth Games were held benefited in the long term. The potential for sports-driven regeneration in east Manchester became apparent in the early 1990s, when it, ultimately unsuccessfully, bid to host the Olympic Games. But once the Commonwealth Games had been awarded to the city in 1999, the New East Manchester (NEM) regeneration company was set up by Manchester City Council, English Partnerships and the North West Regional Development

LE p26-29 Comm G :LE Pages

13/12/06

15:05

Page 27

GENTRANCE TO COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2002 SPORTCITY

LE p26-29 Comm G :LE Pages

13/12/06

15:05

Page 28

“No building was put up without a long-term use for it. We weren’t going to create white elephants. The facilities were created for elite athletes, but each had a community use as well.” GCOLIN JACKSON, RIGHT, IN THE 110M HURDLES For Deane, one of the most significant actions of NEM has been to establish the Ashton Canal corridor linking the east Manchester site with the city centre, already used by thousands of football fans walking to matches. The corridor involved the regeneration of a very run-down strip on either side of the canal to provide an attractive new route for pedestrians and cyclists. Victorian mills that had fallen into decay are now being brought back into use as residential and office developments. “You would never have thought about walking into the town centre [from east Manchester] before, whereas now it is a very pleasant walk and a lot of people use it as a recreational facility,” Deane says. “It has had major benefits after the Games – it is the primary routeway to the City of Manchester stadium. People still come by car, but we get a huge number of people walking from the city centre,” she says. On even a cold and wet day, 11,000 people use the route to the ground.

here has also been a strong emphasis on building a home for business in the area, with Central Park being established (see page 18), and a business network linking up to 3,000 firms, established by NEM. It provides support and information, as well as helping to establish trading partnerships, and lobby on behalf of the area’s business community in talks with central and local government. The council says thousands of new jobs have been created in the area as a direct consequence of the regeneration and commercial initiatives. The result is that unemployment has inevitably fallen, as has the dependence on benefits. Neil Swannick, Manchester City Council’s executive member for planning and environment, says one of the key measures of an upturn in the area’s prospects is whether more people are moving in: “One of the indicators has to be an increase in population, and we are moving to a stage where the area is starting to become a desirable place to live. We have no ‘no demand’ housing left and very little ‘low demand’ housing.”

He admits many of the new jobs created in the area have been taken by people from outside east Manchester, but this is no bad thing if they then move into the area. “The area is becoming more viable and people are keener to live there,” Neil Swannick explains. The Metrolink extension will also make the area more attractive for people who want to live there and commute into the city centre, as well as increase business development and thus employment opportunities. There is still a problem with “worklessness” as people are reliant on a range of benefits, as well as unemployment allowances, he says, and this problem still needs to be solved. But improved educational achievements in the area’s schools gives cause for optimism. The establishment of an education action zone has helped tackle problems with poor school attendance, and the quality of teaching has improved. “A lot of people were cynical about whether we would be successful in staging the Games, and that was in the South as well as locally,” he says. “People saw it as an impossible dream, but as

LE p26-29 Comm G :LE Pages

13/12/06

15:05

Page 29

Commonwealth

GATHLETICS TRACK LEGACY USE

we got closer the community spirit increased dramatically,” something that will hopefully prove to be the same in London once 2012 draws nearer. “Local activities blossomed and we are still enjoying the benefits of that.” Professor Alan Harding, of the University of Salford’s sustainable urban and regional futures (SURF) centre, says an interim evaluation of the success of NEM’s work will show that “very substantial progress” has been made. He says the evaluation, carried out by the European Institute for Urban Affairs at Liverpool John Moores University, was generally favourable. He says: “Manchester has one of the best strategic visions I know of. They used the Commonwealth Games as a catalyst to revitalise an area that urgently needed it. The Games provided the moment in the sun, and NEM delivered the legacy. So the Games was a big event, but the regeneration of the area was the main event. The community engagement NEM has achieved is fantastic, and initiatives on crime prevention, health and training are all excellent.” Jon Ladd, chief executive of the British Urban Regeneration Association, agrees.

“I don’t think that Manchester is some nirvana with gold on the pavements, and there is still a lot of work to do. But the way Manchester has gone about it shows other cities it can be done.” London will not be able to copy exactly what is being done in Manchester, he says, as development of the Thames Gateway alongside the Olympics is on a much bigger scale, but should use Manchester as a framework to work from.

inally, Ladd believes the direction shown by Leese, MCC chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein and NEM chief executive Tom Russell has been crucial, and warns that when the time comes successors must be found who buy into the legacy. Leese believes there are other lessons London can learn from the Manchester experience. He says the build up to the Commonwealth Games was too slow, and some of what they did in the last year could have been done earlier, even though the budget was only set a year in advance. “We could have done with more senior people involved earlier. It came

right on the night, but there was a level of work in the last 12 months that in an ideal world we wouldn’t have had,” he says. London needs to ensure that, like Manchester, it has a robust financial framework, and that costs are controlled very tightly, as they can run away very easily. The success of the Games was crucial to the regeneration of the city, and the region, bringing in 18 million people to the area in 2002, and putting £6 billion into the North West’s economy. But, warns Leese, “they could have been a disaster which would have had a knock-on effect on the regeneration.” The interest from around the world created by the Games would have been lost, and the investment after the Games would have been badly affected, he says. It is clear that east Manchester is heading in the right direction. There might be pitfalls ahead, but these should be avoided provided that the strong leadership is maintained and the vision is protected for years ahead. London would be rightly pleased to match Manchester’s success. G

EN0757B8 Sportcity Advertorial

3/10/06

2:13 pm

Page 1

With investment to date exceeding £274 million, the planned £2 billion regeneration of New East Manchester is well and truly underway. The area has already seen a huge transformation from nothing more than a neglected industrial area to a vibrant gateway to Manchester City Centre. Countryside Properties, one of the catalysts for East Manchester’s impressive regeneration programme, has worked closely with the New East Manchester Partnership to develop a sustainable masterplan for this up and coming area.

T E G

T E S

A key part of that masterplan was to improve the standard of living for the existing residents and bring to life those key elements of New East Manchester that had been ignored for decades. These include Philips Park (Manchester’s oldest park) and the Ashton Canal, as well as encouraging more businesses and people both young and mature, back into the area.

nly ative o is indic Image

s d a e l s e i t r e s ’ p r o e r t P s e e h d i c s n y a r t M n Cou ay in East l a w w e e h n t e r c i t a m dra

Thinking beyond today

www.countryside-properties.com/homes

The development programme has already helped create an impressive array of facilities, which are fast turning the area into a highly cosmopolitan area. At the forefront of the comprehensive renewal programme is Sportcity Living by Countryside Properties. This is New East Manchester’s flagship residential scheme and the first to be built in the area for over 13 years. Following in Countryside Properties footstep many other developments are now underway.

The scheme is a huge statement for the area and is set to benefit from major regeneration along the Ashton canal and an integrated pedestrian network to nearby Philips Park. The new residential community will have easy access to a wide range of community, retail and leisure facilities, including the Velodrome, schools and a medical centre. In addition, the new ASDA Wal-Mart is located just across the road. What’s more, the proposed metrolink that will stop just outside the Asda Wal-Mart will further increase market values in the area by significantly improving accessibility in and out of Manchester.

The City of Manchester Stadium, also located in East Manchester and the UK's first major national stadium for over 75 years is now home to Manchester City FC, and the nearby Velodrome also boasts world class sporting facilities. As for those other great passions: food, drink, shopping and other forms of social therapy - with the city centre just a walk away you'll find an exciting and eclectic mix of stylish restaurants, hip bars and chic fashion boutiques to satisfy the most demanding devotee of urban living. The rejuvenated Ashton Canal and restored Philips Park both provide ideal environments for peace and tranquillity away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Such is the success of Sportcity Living’s initial phases which have to date created 360 new homes, that there are now further plans for a significantly larger new community of homes. The recently released new phase, located adjacent to the Ashton Canal, will see the creation of approximately 130 one and two bedroom contemporary apartments and 73 two to four bedroom houses. The diverse allocation of homes has been specifically designed to encourage a range of buyer types into the area thus creating a mixed and vivacious community of singles, couples and families both young and mature. The apartment element of the new phase will comprise an iconic cylindrical building to complement the straight lines and needlepoint edges of the two earlier phases of the scheme, known as The Cube and The Frame. Ben Coster, Regional Operations Director at Countryside Properties (Northern) comments: “You only have to look at Manchester’s skyline to see how the city has embraced highly distinctive and contemporary architecture over the past ten years and we wanted to embrace that at Sportcity Living. It has allowed our designers to create a thoroughly modern style of 21st century progression. “While the eye-catching cylindrical shapes of the latest phase compliment the earlier phases, it also simultaneously reflects the surrounding architecture of the Velodrome and City of Manchester Stadium, creating a bold statement of intent for the surrounding area.” New East Manchester and Countryside Properties has a clear vision for this emerging quarter in which house prices have risen by over 180% since 2001 (Hometrack 2005). More investment in regeneration is being poured into this square mile, which is an immediate area of Manchester, than almost anywhere else in the North West. Subsequently numerous private house builders are embarking on new schemes throughout the area as affordability becomes a major attraction particularly for first time buyers.

NEW PHASE COMING SOON 3 bed houses and 2 bed apartments Get ready, call for further information

0161 2316067 www.sportcityliving.com

EN0757B8 Sportcity Advertorial

3/10/06

2:13 pm

Page 1

T E G

T E S

nly ative o is indic Image

s d a e l s e i t r e s ’ p r o e r t P s e e h d i c s n y a r t M n Cou ay in East l a w w e e h n t e r c i t a m dra

Thinking beyond today

www.countryside-properties.com/homes

NEW PHASE COMING SOON 3 bed houses and 2 bed apartments Get ready, call for further information

0161 2316067 www.sportcityliving.com

LE p32-35 sportcity:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:14

Page 32

Sportcity 32

Sporting chance Sprinter Linford Christie said he started a race on the ‘B’ of the bang of the pistol. Thomas Heatherwick’s 55m embodiment of this explosive start now stands at the entrance to Sportcity, the hugely successful legacy of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Everything about the site was designed for the post-Games future the north stand was only temporary, to enable it to be brought forward, closer to the pitch, after the games, and the whole ?playing area was excavated (with the track going to good homes in athletics venues around the country) to enable more and lower seats, closer to the pitch. The ?maximum distance from any seat to the pitch is 90m, and ??disabled-access seats on every stand, level and price bracket make it one of the most accessible ?stadiums in the country. The stadium is full of technological wizardry – ventilation ?louvers above the seating maintain ventilation to the pitch and stop it getting too muddy, even in Manchester’s rainy climate, and a nylon mat holds the pitch together. And it’s worked beautifully: the City of Manchester Stadium is now home to Manchester City FC, which held its first match there in August 2003, and can hold 48,000 fans. “We’ve tried to enhance its role as a visitor ?destination,” says Tom Russell, New East Manchester’s chief ?executive. “We want people to come here, spend time, spend money, and take a sense of

east Manchester back into the city and the wider world. Connections are very important. Deprived areas become cut off very quickly: people don’t want to visit them, and those living there don’t want to venture out, they have that enclosed feel. The visitor’s centre, the regional arena, and B of the Bang all increase ?visitor numbers. We get about four million visits a year. Most of them are football supporters, but the other facilities are used as well.” The benefits are already tangible. Cambridge Policy Consultants identified that since the games it has created 1,061 jobs, and seen £2.6?million of additional tourist spending, and £6.4?million additional business come to the area. The community was written into plans for Sportcity. Under the same agreement that saw MCFC take over the stadium, 50% of the value of every seat over 32,000 and 60% over 40,000 is reinvested into sporting facilities and projects in the east Manchester area. The same agreement ensures that the local ?community has access to the stadium facilities for 100 days each year. As Jane Deane, project director at New East Manchester, says: “Its meeting and conference rooms are in strong demand – invitations to an event in a room with a view of the pitch are bound to be more appealing than the normal boring venues.”

portcity, at 26ha, is one of the largest ?developments in the region, representing the biggest investment in multi-purpose sports facilities England has ever seen. Work started in 1997 on what was then a patchwork of derelict land, that used to be one of the densest heavy industrial areas in the country, employing ?thousands of people. The ?stadium in fact stands over the mine shafts of the main occupant of the site, Bradford Colliery, which in 1965 employed 1,600 men but was closed in 1968 and demolished five years later. The site now home to the sleek velodrome once housed the huge Stuart Street power station, with its chimneys and cooling towers visible from miles around, which was demolished in the late 1970s. The only sign of the area’s industrial past now is the Holt Town Gasworks, to the north of the stadium, remaining as a gas ?storage and ?distribution node for the city. Sport has been the catalyst for regeneration of the area. The built legacy of the Commonwealth Games kickstarted a new era of civic pride, international ?relevance and ambition. As a symbol of this new beginning, the B of the Bang stands on the pit-head of the old Bradford Colliery. Everything on the site was designed for the post-Games future. The ?stadium, host to all the track and field events, was in fact designed with football in mind:

Page 33 15:14 13/12/06 LE p32-35 sportcity:LE Pages

GB OF THE BANG IS NEARLY AS TALL AS NELSON’S COLUMN

LE p32-35 sportcity:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:14

Page 34

Countryside Properties even had to shut its show flat, as it had no more apartments to sell. 34 The stadium can also claim to be England’s largest open-air concert venue, with a roof modelled to both provide the best possible acoustics, and shield the local population from noise. Despite the stadium's new use for football, there's no shortage of athletics provision. The Games warm-up track has been turned into the 6,000-seat Manchester Regional Arena. The eightlane, 400m outdoor track, as well as hosting prestigious trials and events, such as July’s annual AAA National Championships Athletic Meeting, is also a valuable community resource, used for the ‘health walks’ ?programme, where patients are referred by their GP to undertake ?supervised exercise. Next door the indoor athletics hall provides a training venue for lotteryfunded athletics, for both world-class and potential athletes.

GKERZNER’S CASINO PROPOSAL

he track is also home to three clubs: Sale Harriers, Manchester Kestrels and Belle Vue Racers. Manchester City Council Sports Development (MCCSD) runs a full ?programme of ?activity for the local? community, ?including an athletics, squash and ?tennis ?academy for ?current and future athletes. The English Institute of Sport north west team is based here, ?providing medical and coaching services to toplevel athletes. Part of the same complex, and open to the public, is the Isospa community health and ?fitness facility, with gym, health suite and studio. Another component of Sportcity is the National Squash Centre, home to England Squash but also open to the public, with sessions run by MCCSD for the community and children who wish to improve their skills. The facilities include six fixed courts and one glasswalled show court, which can be moved, via a cunning 'hovercraft' device, into the athletics hall for annual major tournaments: the British Open, World Doubles and National Championships. Across the Ashton Canal, which runs

from the city ?centre through the site, is the Regional Tennis Centre, with six indoor and six outdoor courts, all open to the public. Again, MCCSD runs sessions for the local community during the school holidays, as part of an intensive ?programme to encourage the take up of the sport. As it says: “Sport can provide a ?positive focus for people’s lives, especially young ?people. We have a strong commitment to delivering a sports programme which is relevant and will provide real sporting and social benefits to the city.” Outside the main boundary of Sportcity is its oldest venue, the velodrome, home to the National Cycling Centre, one of the best sporting venues of its kind in the world. It was actually built as part of Manchester’s 1996 Olympic bid, and has been running its community programme and track ?sessions, for all ages and abilities, ever since. It too is part of the GP referral scheme To complete Sportcity’s status as a destination in its own right, it also runs

tours of the stadium, has a visitor centre, the Reebok City Store, a museum and the City Social café, complete with screens showing Sky Sports. The 17ha Philips Park, 100 years ago an oasis among the industrial smog, is now Sportcity's back garden, with enough grassland, woods and trees to enable some quiet reflection, as well as more vigorous ?pursuits. Ever since the Commonwealth Games, it has hosted an annual Party in the Park, underlining the reborn community spirit of the area.

cross Alan Turing Way, one of the area's major roads, is the District Centre, with the £40 million Asda ??Wal-Mart, opened just before the Commonwealth Games. This, the largest superstore in Europe, used an innovative partnership agreement between recruitment and training partners to ensure that the vast majority of staff were recruited from the immediate area, while offering Asda Wal-Mart the skills it needed. New East Manchester’s Russell is

LE p32-35 sportcity:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:14

Page 35

Sportcity 35

particularly proud of this. “I take great satisfaction from getting Asda Wal-Mart to make up 90% of its workforce from people who live within 15 minutes’ walk of the store. Getting people into jobs is a major focus for us. It’s less visible than shiny new buildings, but equally important.” Sportcity's success as a leisure destination has meant that the residential fortunes of the area are on the up. Just outside the gates, on the Ashton Canal, is Sportcity Living, a ?development of ?waterside ?apartments and family homes by Countryside Properties. The original plan was for 360 homes, but such was demand that ?planning ?permission is being sought for nearly 400 more, no doubt encouraged by the majority of the first two ?phases being bought offplan. Countryside Properties even had to shut its show flat, as it had no more ?apartments to sell. And the area’s proving popular with ?commercial ?companies too – food processor Seamark has built a major

new plant in the area, and is opening a high-quality Thai restaurant, with the chefs housed in two apartments in Sportcity. The ambitious managing director even wants to build a hotel. A number of objectives remain for the site, in ?particular, the Metrolink tram ?system, which will connect the site to the city centre and beyond, and a giant wind turbine, designed by Norman Foster, which will create another huge landmark, at twice the height of B of the Bang, while generating electricity for all activities. But the biggest plan for the future is Sportcity’s bid for the license to build a ‘super casino’ on a 7.6ha site, between the stadium and Alan Turing Way. This £260 million project would be the UK's largest casino, ?entertainment and leisure complex, a destination in its own right, with a five-star hotel, apartments, an extreme sports centre, top-quality bars and restaurants, an ice rink and performance arena, a landscaped lake, shops, a hospitality training centre and offices. The current scheme has at its

heart a ?spectacular curving glass building by Ian Simpson Architects, 10 storeys at its southern end, tapering to four at its centre, and rising once more to eight at its northern end. Even though the casino only occupies a fraction of the total space of the scheme, none of the rest can happen without the presence of the regional casino as the economic powerhouse for the plan. As Deane says: “The casino is the area's best hope for regeneration.” The proposals would create about 2,700 jobs at many skill levels, with training programmes to ensure those most in need have access to the jobs. It’s a ???????nail-biting time – only one regional, or ‘super’, casino scheme is likely to be allowed in the UK, with eight towns and cities shortlisted to be its host. A final decision on the winner won’t be announced until the end of 2007. Fingers are crossed all around Manchester. As New East Manchester said of the casino in its bid: “It is an integral element of a comprehensive regeneration framework for economic and social change.” G

LE p36-37 thought process + new ad:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:43

Page 36

Thought process The redevelopment of Holt Town will see the kind of family-friendly, mixed-use community never built before. But when planning inner-city family living, how can we ensure the right mix of uses and density to give character and long term sustainability? Family areas? Doesn’t that mean just lots of low-density, housing, gardens, and cul-de-sacs? Sure — the ‘traditional’ family environment has been mono-use and low density. But as we’ve seen in both Manchester and across the UK, this can be unsustainable and unattractive in the long term. Holt Town needs to adapt the vibrant mix and density of uses critical to urban developments to protect and enhance family living.

But surely there’ll be potential conflicts? Indeed. Active uses such as bars adjoining family accommodation have to be considered and designed out carefully.

That’s all very well, but how can the scheme create land values that will fund development? How can the developer realise a return on investment? To deliver the project, the expensive land assembly and infrastructure works have to be offset by an increase in land values and housing numbers. The masterplan reduces costs by using land and infrastructure efficiently, and balances the required unit numbers against the needs of families and the quality of environment. The resulting inspirational place will, hopefully, raise values. After all, there won’t be any return on investment unless families actually want to live in Holt Town!

And don’t families want gardens? Is it gardens, or private space? Welldesigned enclosed space can be private, even if not huge. It could be on different levels, even the roof. Or we can take inspiration from London squares, where fine terraced houses, with small gardens, are designed around public gardens, with all residents having a key. It’s about finding a balance.

LE p36-37 thought process + new ad:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:43

Page 37

HoltTown 37

Can family life be downsized? Through efficient use of space, factors critical to family life can be delivered at higher densities: internal storage, private external space, a secure play environment, and goodquality schools and services. They are not the exclusive right of those living in lower density environments.

EDAW’S VISION

But families traditionally live out of town Why should ‘urban’ and ‘family living’ be mutually exclusive? ‘Suburbanisation’ is mainly a post-war phenomenon. Manchester moved families out of the urban core into lower-density, purposebuilt suburbs, replacing ‘inner-city’ housing with an uneasy mixture of highrise and low density forms which have largely failed to attract, or retain, families and are now undergoing another wave of change — look at the Cardroom Estate now being redeveloped as New Islington.? Don’t they want houses? Families have been happily living in apartments for years, from Amsterdam to Berlin, or even San Francisco and Boston. Holt Town will contain a mixture of houses and apartments, with developers, housebuilders and planners learning from examples of family living abroad to deliver a brand new environment.

OK I’m sold. Who do we have to persuade? Not the developer or planning authority — they’re working together on this interesting challenge. The real hard going will be challenging the entrenched ideas of housebuilders and the market, convincing them that families can live in these locations and at these densities. Through Holt Town we hope to show that many families are waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of all that the city has to offer, in an environment conducive to family living.

Tell me more about Holt Town

This redevelopment, between the city centre and Sportcity, is an amazing opportunity. But starting from scratch with no examples to follow has meant the masterplanner EDAW and developer Cibitas have gone back to first principles to ensure the economic viability of the project. So far, its pioneering nature has generated more excitement than confrontation.

LE p36-37 thought process + new ad:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:43

Page 38

LE p36-37 thought process + new ad:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:43

Page 39

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 40

GOLD MILL STREET NEW ISLINGTON

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 41

Waterside 41

On the waterfront Two hundred years ago, Manchester’s canals were the lifeblood of its industrial revolution, as the most effective way of transporting goods in and out of the ‘workshop of the world’. But by the middle of last century, their importance had dwindled

of waterways enthusiasts. Within a few years, canals were beginning to be viewed as development opportunities. Roger Hanbury, chief executive of the Waterways Trust, says: “There’s been a realisation that waterfronts are a great place to live and work. Developers have woken up to the potential of water.” Mike Finkell is regeneration director of Isis, a joint venture between government agency British Waterways, insurer Morley’s Igloo Regeneration Fund and construction giant AMEC. He says: “A number of factors came together. The old land uses, such as industry, were becoming redundant and new ones had to be found. And there was a revived desire to live and work in towns and cities.” Birmingham showed the way as it embarked on the comprehensive redevelopment of the derelict land around the canals to the west of its city centre, creating a new conference centre and indoor arena. Those developments were followed soon afterwards by developer Argent’s regeneration of adjacent Brindleyplace, which became a template for mixed-use waterfront schemes throughout the country. All of these schemes allowed Birmingham city centre to expand beyond the concrete collar formed by its inner ring road. The estimated £400 million of private and public investment in the area has generated 2,800 new jobs and attracted five million visitors per annum,

GANCOATS

nce rail and then road had taken over, in the 1950s, just seven tons of freight was being carried each year along the Ashton canal, which runs out from Piccadilly basin through the east of the city. And canals, lined as they often were by the polluting industries that they had helped spawn, had a poor image. They tended to be seen as unsafe and cut off from their towns and cities. As a result, the waterways fell into neglect. By the early 1960s, the Rochdale canal had been filled in with concrete. The local council also had plans to enclose the nearby Ashton canal in a culvert until it discovered that the costs would add up to a then eye-watering £1 million. The same dismal picture was repeated on waterways across the country. But today, just as the city that became the crucible for the industrial revolution is mapping out a post-manufacturing future, it is also showing how waterways can help to kickstart urban renaissance. In East Manchester, canals are becoming corridors of urban regeneration. The seeds of the national canal network’s turn-around were planted in the late 1960s by the late Barbara Castle. As transport secretary, she saw the potential of canals as leisure facilities. The Ashton canal, which re-opened for navigation in 1974, was one of those saved thanks to the efforts of thousands

In East Manchester, canals are becoming corridors to urban regeneration

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 42

Waterside 42

GROCHDALE CANAL

according to a study carried out for British Waterways. Manchester, while seen by some as relatively slow off the mark in recognising the regeneration potential of its canal network, has, like many other of the UK’s big cities, learnt from Birmingham’s success. Manchester council commissioned a study to examine the existing and future role of Manchester’s waterways and how they can tie in with the broader regeneration taking place across the city. The results of that study have been fed into the council’s ongoing local development plan

review. Much of East Manchester’s regeneration is now focused on canals. Canals are so much back in fashion that in some places, like New Islington in east Manchester, entirely new waterways are being created (see page 45). Bradford too is looking at re-opening the river that runs through its city centre. “People are seeing the added value of water and being able to justify its creation for regeneration purposes,” says Hanbury. He says developers are willing to pay a premium for building next to water, which can add 15 to 20% to the value of a residential project. People like

The fact that such premiums are on offer has sparked increasing interest from private developers

GTABLET IN NEW ISLINGTON STREET

working next to water too, with one in three of employees who work near water saying that it has a positive impact on their productivity, according to a poll carried out by YouGov for Glasgow’s waterside International Financial Services District. The same poll shows that one in five workers says their productivity would improve if they could look out over a river or a canal. The fact that such premiums are on offer has sparked increasing interest from private developers. British Waterways has entered into a number of joint ventures with developers, including Miller Homes and Isis, which is in the middle of a £6 billion programme to rejuvenate 68 hectares in nine UK towns and cities, with half the profits being ploughed back into running and improving the UK’s waterways. To avoid waterside developments turning into gated communities, barring access to ordinary members of the public, effective management is needed. “It’s important at the outset of the project to come up with a coherent masterplan that involves the needs of all of the interested parties, including leisure users and not just the residential occupiers,” says Isis’s Finkell. British Waterways property director Stuart Milne argues that ensuring developments are sustainable is important for the long-term health of the canal network his organisation is charged with running. “We have been the owner of much of the waterways in one guise or another for 200 years. We’re going to have to live with what is built by the waterways so we want to make sure it’s good quality and sustainable.” G

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 43

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 44

Underlining the dramatic change in the image of both the area and canals, new waterways are being created

Ancoats Urban Village The restoration of the largest historic building in the area, the Royal Mills, is well under way. ING Real Estate is creating 300 new flats, just over half of which have been completed and 58 occupied. Flats range in price from £144,000 to half a million. Elsewhere, the shell of the equally historic grade II*-listed Murray Mill has been repaired and the basin of the canal it overlooks has been excavated. A spokesman for the trust estimates that £40 million-worth of public money has been invested in the area, including £9 million on environmental improvements. Nearby, a joint venture between specialist regeneration developer Artisan Holdings, Peel Holdings and Manchester City Council is completing work on its £100 million Lower Eastside Valley development. Artisan chairman Carol Ainscow says that the demand for properties at the development disproves talk of a lull in the Manchester city

centre property market. “Eastside proves that the market is there, but the product must be right,” she says. The Ancoats regeneration has also won broader recognition, with a prize in this year’s Waterway Renaissance awards. The panel particularly liked “the high proportion of apartments suitable for families, the sensitive reuse of historically important buildings and the low environmental impact design and construction.”

GNEW IMPROVED ANCOATS

If Manchester was the workshop of the world, Ancoats was its beating heart. During the late 18th century, a series of giant textile mills sprung up along the Rochdale Canal which ran through the area. But by the 1990s, despite having one of the greatest concentrations of grade II and II* listed buildings in Manchester and being just a few minutes walking distance from the centre, the area was largely abandoned. The North West Development Agency (NWDA) made Ancoats one of its top priorities when it was established seven years ago, mounting compulsory purchase orders to assemble sites for development, the first time this had been done by a regional development agency. By refurbishing the listed buildings and redeveloping derelict land, the Ancoats Urban Village Trust, set up to regenerate the area, is turning it into a new urban village.

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 45

Waterside GWILL ALSOP’S VISION

New Islington and Islington Wharf GISLINGTON WHARF

A few years ago, nearly a third of east Manchester residents described the area’s canals as particularly unsafe places. Now, underlining the dramatic change in the image of both the area and canals themselves, new waterways are being created. In 2000, the government designated Ancoats’ Cardroom estate, which had become notorious as a hotbed of anti-social behaviour and crime, as the site for the third of its Millennium Communities. North-west based regeneration specialist Urban Splash, in partnership with English Partnerships, is leading the regeneration of the area, using a masterplan created by Will Alsop. As well as a more than eight-fold increase in the number of homes on the 12ha site, to more than 1,700, the development will deliver a wide range of shops, bars and restaurants to make it a thriving neighbourhood of Manchester. English Partnerships has funded the reclamation of the site and created new

waterways, taking the form of a 1.6ha water park, containing 7 million gallons of water, with 3km of canal-side public gardens, linked with bridges. Next to the Millennium Community, Isis is working on its Islington Wharf scheme, which includes 500 homes, a hotel, shops and business space. The centrepiece of the scheme is a 21-storey residential tower overlooking the Ashton Canal. Construction firm Laing O’Rourke has begun work on the scheme, which will take around two years to complete. Prices for one-bedroom apartments are expected to start at £100,000. Isis’s northern director Alastair Dickens says: “We are breaking the mould in terms of providing generous sized living accommodation at the right price.” Tom Russell, chief executive of New East Manchester, says: “The Islington Wharf development is the latest stage in the development of a new, high quality, mixed use quarter of the city along the Ashton Canal corridor.”

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 46

Waterside 46

Medlock Valley The Medlock Valley is one of Manchester’s best kept secrets,” says Sean McGonigle, east Manchester’s New Deal for Communities co-ordinator. Containing 90 hectares of public space, the valley runs alongside the River Medlock as it wends its way through the east of the city. Earlier this year, the NWDA awarded £1.7 million to restore the valley, which includes one of the world’s oldest municipal parks. The money will be spent on projects such as repairing a historic packhorse bridge, putting in new fences and building a new footpath to form part of a continuous link between the city centre and Droylsden in Tameside, on Manchester’s outskirts.

McGonigle says the work is designed to safeguard the tranquil nature of the area while making it more accessible. “It will ensure that this important piece of open space becomes the green lung of east Manchester, creating a highquality leisure facility and significantly enhancing the environment.” Alongside this work, NEM has just appointed a developer to regenerate the 16ha lower part of the valley, just one and a half miles from the city centre. The developer will draw up a masterplan for regenerating the area, which currently consists of a mix of housing and disused industrial land. New East Manchester chief executive Tom Russell says that to prevent the area

The work safeguards the tranquil nature of the area while making it more accessible becoming a series of disparate developments, the masterplan must both incorporate a range of styles and densities and maintain a coherent sense of place. “Lower Medlock Valley represents a prime opportunity in the regeneration of east Manchester. Its scale, location, and ‘greenness’ give it the potential to become one of the most attractive places to live in east Manchester.” G

GRIVER MEDLOCK

LE p40-46 waterside +ads:LE Pages

13/12/06

15:22

Page 47

LE p48-49 T&N :LE Pages

13/12/06

15:27

Page 48

Royal Mills, Ancoats Two hundred years ago, Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s canals were the lifeblood of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial revolution. Regeneration, after years of decay, is bringing the waterways back into use, stimulating residential and commercial development along their banks. Then

LE p48-49 T&N :LE Pages

13/12/06

15:27

Page 49

Then&now 49

Now

LE p50 directory v6:LE Pages

18/12/06

13:45

Page 50

Directory 50 ANCOATS Page 12, 44 Details Conversion and conservation of 14 mill buildings, many grade II-listed, into apartments and commercial use to create an ‘urban village’. On site 2005, completion dates vary. New East Manchester contact Lyn Fenton Lead developers ING, Artisan ASHTON CANAL CORRIDOR Page 40 Details Environmental improvements, created a pedestrian link to the city centre. Residential and commercial developments, started 2005, completing 2008. NEM contact Lyn Fenton Lead developer Artisan, Isis CENTRAL PARK Page 18 Details 185ha high-tech business park, 500,000sq m commercial space, including 12,000sq m new business centre One Central Park. Phase one has anchor tenant, and on-spec developments. Phase two under way. Includes Gateway transport interchange. NEM contact Jo Drake Lead developer Ask/Akeler HOLT TOWN Page 12, 36 Details 34ha, £500 million redevelopment of ex-industrial area into ‘uburb’ mixed-use family development. NEM contact Peter Skates Lead developer Cibitas HOUSING, THROUGHOUT AREA Details Building 12,500 new homes and improving and modernising 7,000 more in Beswick, Miles Platting and Clayton, Gorton, Openshaw, Miles Platting. NEM contact Developers Lovell, Gleesons, New City Vision, Persimmon, Inspired Developments NEW ISLINGTON Page 12, 45 Details £250 million, 12ha, 1,734-home

Millennium Community to replace the Cardroom Estate. Includes water park, orchard and reinstated canals. NEM contact Lyn Fenton Lead developer Urban Splash SPORTCITY Page 32 Details Reuse of 26ha Commonwealth Games stadium and facilities for both elite and community sport. Associated housing development of 700 homes, and £260 million proposed 7.6ha regional casino. NEM contact Jane Deane

NEXT ISSUE GORTON Restoration of historic monastery into community use, plus adjacent 2.1ha housing scheme, and redevelopment of shopping centre and surrounding area OPENSHAW How a 14,000sq m business park will create 250 jobs in this formerly run-down area, as well as leisure and commercial facilities. LOWER MEDLOCK VALLEY The ambitious plans for this river valley, right next to the city centre.

LE p1 cover v6:Layout 1

13/12/06

14:35

Page 2

LE p1 cover v6:Layout 1

13/12/06

14:35

Page 1

New East Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official regeneration magazine. Issue One Winter 2006/07

LookingEast Issue One Winter 2006/07

LookingEast www.lookingeastmagazine.com

High-tech industrial revolution The Commonwealth Games legacy Sportcityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bid for casino The new urban living Waterside regeneration