Airport City Enterprise Zone

[flange]

From this week's Great Manchester Business Week.

[flange]

Airport City ‘will ground jobs growth elsewhere’, say campaigners

Alice McKeegan

August 08, 2011

Manchester Airport is not a suitable location for an enterprise zone because it will suck economic life away from the rest of the region, a new report claims.

The £400m Airport City project is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs but the study casts doubt on its predicted impact.

The report, by the Campaign to Protect Rural England North West Regional Group, warns it could undermine development elsewhere in Greater Manchester and cause a ‘prosperity black hole’.

Project leaders say a 60-acre site, centred around Manchester Business Park, north of the airport, will include offices, shops, hotels and manufacturing space.

But the CPRE said evidence from the first wave of Enterprise Zones, launched in the 1980s, showed they have displaced businesses from other areas.

It also claimed few of the jobs established in the zones remained after economic support ended.

Andy Yuille, senior policy and campaigns officer for CPRE north west, said: "There is a need to attract investment and create jobs, but looking at the prosperity of Greater Manchester and the surrounding areas as a whole, this just isn’t the right place to do it. It will add pressure to build on the green belt south of Manchester while taking potential jobs and investment away from locations to the north of the conurbation that really need an economic boost."

Airport City will become one of the country’s first Enterprise Zones and is expected to bring 10,500 full-time jobs in the next 10 to 15 years. A planning application will be submitted before the end of the year with a view to starting construction work by early 2012. Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester council, said: "This report misses the point of Airport City entirely.

"Comparing it to those of the 1980s is, at best, naive – they are entirely different beasts.

"This is all about creating new, sustainable jobs for Greater Manchester as a whole and in particular for the local area, rather than displacing jobs from other parts of the city region."

Several Greater Manchester MPs, including Salford and Eccles’ Hazel Blears and Rochdale’s Simon Danczuk, have warned that Airport City could attract investment away from other areas.

An airport spokesman said: "We are not looking to displace investment from other parts of Greater Manchester.

"In fact, we believe Airport City will have the opposite effect, attracting international businesses that previously would not have located here and in doing so will support the whole of the city region, giving it a true competitive edge that enables it to compete with cities such as Barcelona, Milan, Düsseldorf and Amsterdam."

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...ay-campaigners

[Mwmbwls]

Originally Posted by cle

No talk of the mid-Cheshire line extension? Would really plug MIA into the local commuter belt, otherwise this might end up being another generic car-dependent business park.

Absolutely the M56's jamtastic hot spot starts at J9 every night.

No doubt Stockport will be putting up a case for the completion of SEMMS in full on the back of this development. Running Metrolink down the median to Stockport could facilitate both this development and the redevelopment of Woodford.

And how will this play in the corridors of power in Trafford?

[TheFly]

Originally Posted by Mwmbwls

Absolutely the M56's jamtastic hot spot starts at J9 every night.

No doubt Stockport will be putting up a case for the completion of SEMMS in full on the back of this development. Running Metrolink down the median to Stockport could facilitate both this development and the redevelopment of Woodford.

And how will this play in the corridors of power in Trafford?

No chance of Metrolink along this route. It is for high density mass transit not skirting villages around south Manchester.

SEMMS must be being built now. It has to be. Trouble is who foots the £1bn bill??

[Mwmbwls]

Originally Posted by TheFly

No chance of Metrolink along this route. It is for high density mass transit not skirting villages around south Manchester.

SEMMS must be being built now. It has to be. Trouble is who foots the £1bn bill??

Is SEMMS being built now? - Does anybody have images of work in progress? Is it not not just going to shuffle congestion along to Hazel Grove if it only goes as far as the A6.Congestion that might be caused by more people commuting to Airport City, for example. As i said in my earlier posting I expect the residents of Stockport and Trafford will have views.

As for a Southern Orbital Metrolink I agree this may be "Castles in the Air" time but every project at one stage was such a fortress- so indulge me on this occasion.With a dedicated right of way being driven through "skirting the villages of south Manchester" the capital costs of running what is a light railway along the alignment would not be disproportionate - even if it were not built now - passive provision is not a bad idea.Cities across the UK are littered with examples of failure to future proof development.

[nerd]

Originally Posted by Mwmbwls

Is SEMMS being built now? - Does anybody have images of work in progress? Is it not not just going to shuffle congestion along to Hazel Grove if it only goes as far as the A6.Congestion that might be caused by more people commuting to Airport City, for example. As i said in my earlier posting I expect the residents of Stockport and Trafford will have views.

As for a Southern Orbital Metrolink I agree this may be "Castles in the Air" time but every project at one stage was such a fortress- so indulge me on this occasion.With a dedicated right of way being driven through "skirting the villages of south Manchester" the capital costs of running what is a light railway along the alignment would not be disproportionate - even if it were not built now - passive provision is not a bad idea.Cities across the UK are littered with examples of failure to future proof development.

As I understand it, SEMMS is specifically intended to remove congestion from Hazel Grove by taking all the A6 through traffic away at High Lane, and feeding it into Kingsway and Princess Parkway. Which is why Stockport are so keen on it. I suppose it might be argued that, without the northern, High Lane to Bredbury, section, there will still be a lot of through traffic; but building the whole thing would be prohibitive now.


But an orbital tram is simply a bad idea in principle - irrrespective of whether the road is cancelled. Once upon a time, trams could be regarded as a comprehensive public transport solution; but those days are long past. We should not be trying to build tram routes along corridors that would be better served by other public transport modes - e.g. rapid buses.

[WatcherZero]

Final report on the proposed borders of the area.

http://www.agma.gov.uk/cms_media/fil...chester_ez.pdf

• Atlas Business Park
• Emerson Properties at Thorley Lane
• Four sites owned by Manchester Airport
• Manchester Business Park land owned by Manchester City Council and Goodman
• Medipark at University Hospital South Manchester Foundation Trust
• Roundthorn Industrial Estate landholdings owned by Bluemantle and GM Pension Fund
• Wythenshawe Town Centre

Davenport Green is excluded despite owners wish to be included. The effect is an area surrounding the Airport North of the runway, a corridor straight upto and surrounding the Hospital and most of Wythenshawe south of the town centre. A total of 116 acres and nearly slap bang in the 50-150 acre Government limits.

[poshbakerloo]

Originally Posted by Mwmbwls

Is SEMMS being built now? - Does anybody have images of work in progress? Is it not not just going to shuffle congestion along to Hazel Grove if it only goes as far as the A6.Congestion that might be caused by more people commuting to Airport City, for example. As i said in my earlier posting I expect the residents of Stockport and Trafford will have views.

As for a Southern Orbital Metrolink I agree this may be "Castles in the Air" time but every project at one stage was such a fortress- so indulge me on this occasion.With a dedicated right of way being driven through "skirting the villages of south Manchester" the capital costs of running what is a light railway along the alignment would not be disproportionate - even if it were not built now - passive provision is not a bad idea.Cities across the UK are littered with examples of failure to future proof development.

Its looking like it will be built, although from what I have seen nothing has happened so far, atleast not in Styal or Woodford, I've not seen near the Stockport end...

[mike3244]

Originally Posted by poshbakerloo

Its looking like it will be built, although from what I have seen nothing has happened so far, atleast not in Styal or Woodford, I've not seen near the Stockport end...

The SEMMS currently has no funding as I understand it, and no current likelihood og being funded in the near future.

[nq]

It's here, needs a rename to include Airport City.

Originally Posted by hulmeman2

Should this topic get it's own thread, so that it can be moved to 'under construction' when it starts up?

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...-plan-unveiled

[Lookin Up]

Originally Posted by nq

It's here, needs a rename to include Airport City.

Talking to someone involved in this yesterday and was reminded that the A6 to M56 road part of SEMMS that was approved in Nov will join at the roundabout you can see on that overhead image, although it doesn't appear to be shown clearly on it.
A great piece of joined up thinking.
Exciting times ahead for Airport City

[jrb]

More images/renders.

From Place North West.

Occupier interest grows in £650m Airport City

12 Jan 2012, 11:03

Manchester Airport has 16 firm leads from a range of potential tenants interested in taking space in the new development, director John Atkins said ahead of a visit from George Osborne on Thursday.

Scroll down to see gallery of images

The enquiries have come from hotel groups, office tenants and logistics firms and include an airline on the look-out for 60,000 sq ft of office space. Atkins also said he and his Manchester Airports Group Developments project team for Airport City had started actively selling the site around the world including presenting to surveyors in New York who handle the office requirements for global corporations.

Speaking as the finishing touches were put to the new marketing suite in Olympic House ahead of the Chancellor's visit, Atkins said a planning application for £27m of road and utility services to feed the development site would be submitted in February.

Work on the road would start as soon as planning permission is granted and take around 12 months to complete. Following completion, the first phase of the buildings will start on site. Phase one totals 1.85m sq ft and includes:

■Offices: 550,000 sq ft
■Logistics: 500,000 sq ft
■Advanced manufacturing: 100,000 sq ft
■Hotels: 700,000 sq ft
■Multi-storey car park
■Transport interchange incorporating the new Metrolink line

A bid to the government's Regional Growth Fund for £10m towards the cost of the road and services was unsuccessful but talks are progressing well with the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, which last year was handed a £50m 'unallocated' pot by the government, as well as the European Regional Development Fund and European Investment Bank.

The updated master-plan for Airport City separates the scheme, which could total between 4m sq ft and 5m sq ft over the next 15 years, into two distinct parks, the north park for offices and hotels, the south park side for logistics and advanced manufacturing.

The tender document for a strategic partner or consortium of partners is due to be published next month with selection by the end of 2012. Atkins said he is remaining flexible as to whether it is a developer, investor, contractor or a mixture that forms the alliance.

Manchester Airport is also one of the government's Enterprise Zones, qualifying for rate relief for occupiers, broadband infrastructure, UK Trade & Investment support and simplified planning regime. The local authority can also retain additional business rates generated in the zone for at least 25 years.

A proposed biosciences MediPark at University Hospital of South Manchester in Wythenshawe is also part of the Enterprise Zone.

The master-plan team for Airport City includes Urban Strategies, Drivers Jonas Deloitte, Jones Lang LaSalle, 5plus Architects, Aecom, Davis Langdon, and Planit.

Business Desk North West.

CHANCELLOR George Osborne has today unveiled a detailed masterplan for the £659m Airport City scheme being created at Manchester Airport.



Mr Osborne, whose Tatton constituency includes the Airport's second runway, praised Airport City as a "great coming together" of a local idea and a national initiative in the form of enterprise zones.

"They have come together at the right time and fit very well - it's exactly the sort of scheme we wanted to do."

Praising the airport and city council chiefs for their planning around the concept over the last few years, he said Airport City was the "best developed and most advanced" of any of the 24 enterprise zones the government has created.

He added: "It'll be good for Manchester, good for the North West and good for Britain."

MAG Developments, the property arm of Manchester Airport Group, has said that it will develop 5m sq ft of property on a 150-acre site to attract international occupiers looking for a UK base. In total, it anticipates that the scheme will attract some 20,000 jobs to the area over the next 15 years.

The site was designated as one of the government's new Enterprise Zones last March, and the zone will become operational from April 2012 for a 15-year period.

As part of the zone, a new MediPark development at University Hospital South Manchester and Wythenshawe town centre will be developed, which will be linked by the new Metrolink tramline currently under construction.

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Airport City will fill the gap in the market that currently exists for a high quality and well-connected environment for businesses that need access to a major British city and to a global marketplace.

"Airport City will provide an innovative and complementary offer to Greater Manchester’s existing assets, rather than competing against them, adding new capacity to the city's existing dynamic economy."

The detailed two-stage masterplan identifies the creation of two core Airport City zones. The first is a development area next to the airport’s existing railway station and to north of the M56, which will focus on hotel, office, retail and advanced manufacturing sites.

The second second next to the existing cargo centre at Junction 6 of the M56, will focus on freight and logistics uses.

A landscaped ‘Central Park’ area of over 800m long will run through the spine of the development and will feature retail outlets, coffee houses, bars and restaurants.

The Central Park will also integrate with the existing green space at Painswick Park in order to provide better links from Wythenshawe’s Woodhouse Park housing estate to aid regeneration efforts.

Charlie Cornish, chief executive of Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said: “Airport City is a concept we have been developing for a number of years and we are now at a critical stage in the project’s life as we bring it to the market and commence phase one.

"We were enthused by the Government’s recognition of Airport City’s potential when it was named as the focal point of their new Enterprise Zone, as we feel that this project presents a generational opportunity not only for the wider region, but nationally in order to attract new investment to the UK during the economic downturn.”

[Andy Lees]

Looks impressive. Will certainly be one to watch!

[tomegranate]

I don't know much about business, but is it only me that thinks this might be the Trafford Centre to central Manchester's CBD?

[WatcherZero]

No, this wont attract city office it will attract the large out of town/Motorway junction office park type. Companies more concerned with cost than location.

[jrb]

If I remember correctly, Etihad is the airline.

BDNW.

MANCHESTER Airports Group is holding "serious discussions" with four or five potential tenants, including an airline, a global logistics company and a high-tech manufacturer, over locating at its Airport City enterprise zone development.

MAG chief executive Charlie Cornish told TheBusinessDesk.com the £650m enterprise zone had generated much interest since it was confirmed by the government six months ago.

"We had scores of expressions of interest, and currently there are 25 really interesting opportunities we are hoping to make progress on.

"As we speak we're having serious discussions with four or five parties and we're very close with some.

"We're talking to an airline about them opening a European marketing,

sales and call centre, which would be a stand-alone building on site.

"We're also talking to a global logistics company and one or two service

partners and also a high-tech manufacturing business."

Mr Cornish said Airport City is an "outstanding commercial opportunity" for MAG, and would lead to more routes, flights and revenues for the group.

He revealed too that a process to find a development partner, or partners, for the development is due to begin in the coming months.

"A formal process will begin next month, and we'd like after a couple of months to move forward with one, perhaps two partners - the proposals we receive will tell us whether there will be one or two partners - we'll certainly not have more than two."

[WatcherZero]

Didnt Etihad already say they were building an airport HQ anyway?

[WingTips]

If it is EY yes, they announced a large reservation centre several months ago...but good news non the less.

[Slow Burn]

If this really does turn out like those renders then hell yeah this is awesome. But everytime I think about it I think standard boring business park (see Telford, Milton Keynes, Crewe, Stoke..everywhere)

[LNGCats]

I'm expecting Gemini business park Warrington tbh.

But given that this place is meant to bring jobs and wealth to the area, who cares if it is a dull business park so long as additional wealth is brought to the region that otherwise would not happen.