GREATER Manchester has unveiled its vision for the next decade – a thriving city region where everyone can live a good life.  The city region is setting its sights on a new era of economic growth, on the way to becoming a second city to rival any other on the planet by 2050, with new underground transport services and a flagship underground station at Manchester Piccadilly.  Speaking to a packed room at Manchester’s Campfield on Wednesday, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, joined by Leaders and partners from across the city region, shared the city region’s blueprint for a greener, fairer future.   The announcements were made during the launch of The Greater Manchester Strategy 2025-2035. At its heart is a Growth Plan and a People Plan, which together will ensure that every person and every place in Greater Manchester feels the benefits of economic growth.  The Mayor set out how we will continue to put housing first by unlocking land for thousands of new homes, and pledged that, by 2027, Greater Manchester will be building more social housing than it is losing through Right to Buy.  The Mayor also revealed plans for new bus routes, tramlines and train stations to connect thriving communities across the city region with an integrated, lower cost transport system – helping more people get out and access new opportunities.  Construction of a tram stop to service new homes at Victoria North will start by 2028 while work to bring Metrolink to Stockport will begin by 2030. And two commuter rail lines will join the Bee Network by next December, with another six joining by 2028.  The Greater Manchester Strategy also sets out how we’ll transform our technical education system, including through delivery of the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate. This includes giving every young person who needs one access to a guaranteed high-quality 45-day work placement.   And to help connect young people with work and study opportunities, Greater Manchester will also introduce half price bus travel for 18-21-year-olds from September 2025. A pilot of free 24-hour bus travel for older and disabled people will also be rolled out in August, lifting the morning restrictions before 9.30, and will be evaluated to see how it could be developed.  The Mayor announced Sebastian Coe as Chair designate of a new Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) to spearhead the Old Trafford Regeneration scheme – the biggest sports-led scheme since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which Lord Coe was instrumental in securing and delivering.    Steve Coogan was named co-chair designate of the proposed Middleton MDC alongside Rose Marley, Chief Executive of Co-operatives UK. The actor, comedian and producer will return to his hometown to work with Rochdale Council and the local community to revive the town.  The new Mayoral development vehicles will help drive a new decade of inclusive growth across Greater Manchester, attracting investment and building pride in our towns.     The Mayor also announced plans to unlock transformative investment in transport infrastructure, so that by 2050 Manchester Piccadilly has an underground tram and train station with a high-speed rail link to Liverpool and regeneration of the surrounding area – making it ‘the Kings Cross of the North’.   Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Our first decade of devolution has shown how much we can achieve by working together. We’re the UK’s fastest growing economy and stand on the cusp of what I believe could be our best decade since the Victorian era   “Our task for the next decade is to build a platform for success for all our residents. We’ve never believed in a “trickle-down” model of growth here – that if a few people and places do well then, somehow, that will benefit everyone. We know we will only change the fortunes of all our people and places if we’re prepared to intervene and fix the foundations of life.   “That means making sure everyone has a healthy home, in a safe and welcoming community; it means offering people support to tackle the everyday stresses and strains of life; and it means helping all our young people to fulfil their potential by providing a clear line of sight to great jobs in our growing economy, with strong technical routes as well as academic ones. All this must be underpinned by a low-fare public transport system, connecting people to opportunities.   “We’ve proved that we’re ready to forge our own place-based solutions and the Government has recognised this by making us the UK’s first ‘Prevention Demonstrator’. We’ll develop a better way of delivering public services, treating people as names not numbers and creating the conditions for everyone to live well, rather than waiting until people are in crisis to offer support.   “Our vision is ambitious, but in my eight years as Mayor, I’ve learned that, when we pull together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve. There’s a long and proud tradition of collaboration in Greater Manchester. Devolution has turbocharged that and now we’re ready to deliver a new model of growth where no one is left behind.”  To lock in growth for the next decade, Greater Manchester will use its devolved powers to pioneer a new way of delivering regeneration. Our Integrated Pipeline will spread the benefits of growth across the city region, building on a scale and at a pace not seen before in this century.   As well as thousands of new homes, it will deliver new manufacturing sites, commercial spaces, innovation districts, and hubs for entrepreneurship, creating tens of thousands of new jobs and cementing Greater Manchester’s reputation as a great place to do business.   The new Mayoral Development Corporations (MDCs) and Zones (MDZs) will kickstart regeneration. They’re innovative tools that Greater Manchester can use to bring together local partners and drive forward our ambitions to build new homes, bring jobs and investment, and support economic growth.   MDCs are statutory bodies, set up by the Mayor, designed to speed up development and attract investment within a specific area. They can take on broad powers including land

An underused multistorey car park in Manchester’s iconic Northern Quarter will be transformed into a green, sustainable neighbourhood set to complement the unique and independent ethos of the area.   CBRE was appointed by Manchester City Council to market the Church Street site for disposal last year and, following a competitive process, it is proposed that the Council will sell the 1.54acre (0.62ha) Church Street site to Glenbrook, subject to formal decision making and planning permission.   The scheme will deliver more than 300 new homes, including 60 (20%) affordable homes, alongside new commercial opportunities and high-quality public spaces.   It is expected that the development should respect the heritage and architecture of the historic neighbourhood, helping to enhance the wider area and improve the car park site that has long fallen out of step with the wider locale.   The new neighbourhood will also feature four new public squares and green spaces, along with opportunities for pedestrianising the surrounding streets as part of the public realm, and to support active travel options to and through the area. A new flexible community and gallery space will also be part of the proposed development.  The commercial space within the ground floor will offer a mix of smaller, more affordable units to ensure local independent businesses can access the neighbourhood – alongside units for food and beverage outlets.   The development proposals commit to delivering high levels of sustainability, biodiversity and social value.  The final legal negotiations with Glenbrook will conclude over the summer prior to public consultation to inform a future planning application.  Leader of the Council Bev Craig said: “For too long the Church Street car park has been an eyesore and a barrier to the ongoing success of the Northern Quarter. We want to bring forward a world-class development that has the potential to completely transform this part of the neighbourhood, together with the newest city centre public squares and green spaces.   “As part of this, we want to make sure that the businesses that make their home here reflect the independent ethos of this community, complementing and helping to enhance the wider neighbourhood. As such, this development will also celebrate the distinct architectural heritage of the Northern Quarter and honour the history of the area.  “We felt Glenbrook shared these ambitions, understood how the development of this site should sit within its context, and create a new neighbourhood that supports the ongoing success of the Northern Quarter and the wider city centre.”  Director at Glenbrook, Ian Sherry commented:   “The Church Street site represents a unique opportunity in the heart of the Northern Quarter, a neighbourhood and community that is alive with energy and creativity, and Glenbrook is delighted to play an important role in its future growth.     “To be selected as the Council’s preferred purchaser is a huge accomplishment for our entire project team, who have all immersed themselves in the submission. We look forward to jointly delivering an outstanding project for the Northern Quarter community and supporting the city’s continued growth agenda that confidently projects its future as a globally recognised destination.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals