Manchester is a region filled with transportation hubs, office space and thousands of homes, and thankfully, the city has unveiled an impressive slate of regeneration plans in the last year in an attempt to better these already thriving sectors.
Heat and Power
Partnering with Vital Energi, Manchester is expanding its heating and power network across the Civic Quarter.
The network focuses on creating an environmentally friendly, efficient solution for some of Manchester’s most recognised buildings. This contribution will help reduce the city’s overall carbon levels. Some of the first buildings being connected are: Town Hall, Manchester Central Convention Centre, The Bridgewater Hall, and Heron House.
Rail
Manchester features both a major air and Metrolink transport hub, but the one benefitting from investment is rail. Trains help connect Manchester both nationally and internationally through hubs throughout the UK, and the city’s local network is gaining investment courtesy of the HS2 network.
HS2 is a highspeed rail network which is expected to reduce journey times to London from 120 minutes down to 62, as well as shorten journeys across the North also.
The upgrade will help Manchester’s rail become more reliable and resilient, not only for residents, but for businesses wanting to expand into the North.
The rail expansion is expected to help grow business relations and increase Manchester’s position as a national business and economic hub.
Culture
Local infrastructure projects are a key component of Manchester’s regeneration plans, and its current projects include 2 sites which will be converted into prominent culture scenes within the city.
Upper and Lower Campfield Market, as well as Home Arches, are the two developments which will see investment. The plans are simple. The centres will be converted into production hubs linked to the performing arts, providing theatres, cinema, galleries, restaurants, and support for media, digital and creative industries using the sites.
All of this will be carried out and completed by 2023, all while maintaining significant elements linked to the Upper and Lower Campfield Market’s Grade II listed building requirements.
Housing and Office Space
NOMA is the most recent regeneration project focused on creating housing and office space. The £800m scheme will provide 55,000 sq ft of office space, including Amazon’s first UK headquarters.
The development site will also use 1 million sq ft of space for property, alongside 20,000 sq ft of hotel space to benefit national and international travellers. The remaining 4 acres of space will be filled with greenery and outside space for those using this premium development.
