Context

2.1 Greater Manchester has a long and proud history. It became the world’s first industrial city, when its position as the global hub for textile manufacturing led to rapid urbanization and numerous technological innovations, including the world’s first steam passenger railway. It has also been at the forefront of hugely influential social and political movements, being the birthplace of both the modern cooperative movement and the suffragettes, as well as leading the campaign to repeal the corn laws in the nineteenth century which ushered in the start of the modern global economy.

2.2 Today, Greater Manchester is a vibrant, dynamic and diverse city, which continues to play an important role in the economic and social fabric of the country and the wider world.

2.3 Greater Manchester consists of the ten local authority areas of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. Greater Manchester is a well-connected city in many respects. It is located at the heart of the UK, with easy access to all of its constituent nations, and is only a short distance from other major cities such as Leeds and Liverpool. Manchester Airport is the UK's third largest airport, London is only two hours away by rail, and there are also direct rail connections to other major cities of the North of England. Greater Manchester has good motorway infrastructure providing links across the country.

2.4 Greater Manchester is home to 2.8 million people, and has seen an increase of over 200,000 residents in the last decade alone. The population is forecast to grow by around another quarter million people by 2037, and this, in turn, will contribute to a significant increase in households. Around two-thirds of the population growth is expected to be in those aged 65 and over, and about 40% will be aged 75 and over. Growth in the working age population (18-64) will be lower, but still significant at around 50,000.

2.5 Greater Manchester is one of the most economically diverse conurbations in the UK. (4) It is the main driver of the Northern economy, generating nearly 40% of total output (GVA) in the North West and 19% across the North of England. Around 1.4 million jobs are provided within Greater Manchester, with considerable growth over the last few decades in service sector employment such as professional services and administration. There has been a considerable reduction in manufacturing jobs, but this sector continues to be one of the most productive in Greater Manchester. The baseline economic forecast foresees an increase of around 110,000 jobs by 2037, with similar changes in the sectoral mix to the recent past, although a more ambitious accelerated growth scenario estimates an increase of about 180,000 jobs.