GREEN QUARTER LOWER IRK VALLEY FORMER BODDINGTONS BREWERY SITE COLLYHURST MEDIEVAL NOMA QUARTER NEW CROSS E STRAT E ANCOATS TR G N I C SALFORD CENTRALE AND GREENGATE C P NORTHERN QUARTER RETAIL CORE L Y NEW A ISLINGTON T N I C CENTRAL SPINNINGFIELDS BUSINESS DISTRICT CIVIC QUARTER CHINATOWN PICCADILLY ST JOHN’S KAMPUS THE VILLAGE WATER STREET PETERSFIELD MAYFIELD NORTH CAMPUS CASTLEFIELD IRWELL FIRST STREET RIVER PARK GREAT JACKSON STREET CORRIDOR MANCHESTER CONTENTS FOREWORD 5 AREA PROFILES 28 INFRASTRUCTURE 82 NOMA 30 Transport 84 VISION 6 St John’s 33 Digital 89 Introduction and context 8 Spinningfields 36 Environment 93 Achievements since 2012 17 First Street 39 City centre snapshot and key facts 20 LOOKING AHEAD 96 Corridor Manchester 42 Resident access to jobs Delivery 107 Central Business District 48 and skills development 26 Engagement 108 Piccadilly 51 City centre experience 109 Mayfield 54 ANNEXES Medieval Quarter 56 110 Great Jackson Street 58 City centre map 112 Kampus 60 Links to key documents and websites 114 Salford Central and Greengate 62 Acknowledgements 115 Irwell River Park 64 Water Street 66 Retail Core 68 Castlefield 72 Northern Quarter 75 Chinatown 78 The Village 80 CITY CENTRE STRATEGIC PLAN 2015–2018 FOREWORD Manchester city centre has The six years since the last Over the next few years, This revised City Centre changed dramatically over City Centre Strategic Plan significant further growth Strategic Plan seeks to: the past 15 years and is now was published have seen is expected in the economy • Demonstrate what has one of the most dynamic further transformational and population of the city been achieved since the centres in Europe. Significant growth – both in the city’s centre. This will bring both last Strategic Plan was private and public sector economy and in the opportunities and challenges, published in 2009 investment has led to a more population. A renewed including ensuring the vibrant and diverse cityscape, confidence in the commercial availability of the appropriate • Update the vision for the including modern iconic and residential market has infrastructure and adequate city centre within the buildings such as the Civil allowed the continuation of residential accommodation current economic and Justice Centre and Beetham existing developments and to support this growth. strategic context Tower, in addition to new the emergence of significant • Outline the direction of high-quality public areas. It new development, with the Critical to Manchester’s travel and key priorities has also meant the opening boundaries of the city centre success over the next decade over the next few years up of new areas to residential expanding to incorporate and beyond is a decisive in each of the city centre and leisure activity, creating new areas for people to live response to the challenges neighbourhoods an increasingly busy and and work in. and opportunities posed by animated atmosphere climate change. This next • Describe the partnerships throughout the daytime Manchester city centre phase of growth for the city in place to deliver those and evening. continues to play a vital part centre will be part of the priorities. in the growth of the city’s city’s overall commitments New business sectors have economy and that of Greater on climate change, putting The Strategic Plan will shape established themselves in the Manchester as a whole. This us on track to become the activity that will ensure city, driven by the expansion is becomingly increasingly a dynamic low-carbon the city centre continues to of existing firms and the important as devolution economy, with high-quality consolidate its role as a major relocation of new companies. arrangements develop to green spaces and waterways economic and cultural asset Financial and professional allow more and more throughout. for Greater Manchester and services, media and creative, decisions to be made at the North of England. life sciences and leisure, the city region level. We advanced manufacturing, continue to work hard to Sir Richard Leese tourism, and the services ensure that the benefits Leader sector in particular, have secured by investment in Manchester City Council grown and continue to grow. the city centre are enjoyed March 2016 by the communities of Today, Manchester city Manchester and Greater centre is a destination for Manchester through many things, including alignment with wider skills learning, work, living, and accessibility strategies. cultural experiences, shopping and relaxation. CITY CENTRE STRATEGIC PLAN 2015–2018 5 VISION 6 CITY CENTRE STRATEGIC PLAN 2015–2018 7 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT The economic As both the economy and has already trebled over the geography of population of Manchester last decade, and subsequently Manchester have grown, large-scale further enhance the city mixed-use developments centre economy. city centre is rapidly incorporating commercial, evolving, with residential and leisure uses How we plan for growth exponential growth are driving change at its will be just as important as and significant boundaries. These growth itself. There will, developments include Ancoats for example, be greater development over and New Islington to the energy needs and higher recent years. east, the Green Quarter and demands for public services, NOMA to the north, and alongside the need to reduce Castlefield and St George’s CO2 emissions and adapt to the south west. These to climate change. Our locations have increasingly operational management become attractive places to structures will need to be live for people working and flexible enough to respond spending their leisure time to these and control possible within the city centre. unintended consequences, such as antisocial behaviour. This growth has contributed additional residential Since the previous Strategic accommodation, commercial Plan was published in 2009, property and leisure there has been a significant destinations, and these change in the policy and locations (together with others funding context in which including the Irk Valley and the city operates, as a result New Cross) have a clear of the change of government potential to contribute to and the strengthening of the the city centre offer: their Greater Manchester City relationship with and Region structures. One of proximity to existing the key outcomes of this concentrations of activity has been the move towards demand their inclusion within greater local governance the city centre boundary. The and control, established first expansion of the city centre through the innovative City boundary to incorporate edge- Deal with the Government, of-centre neighbourhoods and now through the and developments will Devolution Agreement for increase a population that Greater Manchester. 8 Ancoats/New Islington Hilton Hotel NATIONAL The arrangement was the CONTEXT – first of its kind in the UK NORTHERN outside London and will play a pivotal role in helping to POWERHOUSE build a Northern economic powerhouse. The Greater There is a growing recognition Manchester Devolution at both a local and national Agreement will introduce level that by joining together a new elected Mayor, who the cities in the North of Improved transport Further priorities for will represent the combined England, an increasingly connectivity between the delivering the Northern authorities and hold powerful economic area can cities of the North is one Powerhouse include responsibilities for new be created that can help to of the major elements of strengthening science, delegated powers and rebalance and grow the building a stronger northern knowledge, and culture. resources. national economy, providing economic base. Manchester, Manchester is receiving the ability to compete along with the other northern investment to provide two Local authorities in Greater internationally. Manchester cities, has developed the centres of excellence in these Manchester will retain all is at the forefront of this Transport for the North areas – a new theatre and their existing powers. movement, and the city proposal to transform performance space at St However, the Devolution centre – as a key driver of the transport connectivity and John’s (Factory Manchester) Agreement will provide economies of both Greater capacity, improving journey and the £235million Sir additional tools to develop Manchester and the north times, reliability and quality. Henry Royce Institute for high-quality places for people west – will be a crucial These improvements to Advanced Materials Research to live, work and do business component in this connected transport infrastructure will and Innovation at The in. The alignment of our local Northern Powerhouse. widen and strengthen the University of Manchester, authorities’ powers will support North’s labour markets and which will link with satellite the delivery of the vision and In 2014, Greater Manchester improve business efficiency. centres in other core cities in objectives outlined in both local authorities agreed a the North of the country. the Greater Manchester and devolution settlement that A series of investments the Manchester Strategies. will assist in delivering are being developed across economic growth across the highways, rail, logistics, ports The scope of devolution region, while improving the and airports to deliver this includes housing, planning quality of life for residents. transformational change. The and transport, alongside This agreement builds on reregulation of buses is also of improving resident skills, the work of the