Insights
GM Green Summit 24: The Launch of a 5-year environment plan, a new transport strategy and the Bee Net Zero Commitment
The 2024 Greater Manchester Green Summit was held at the Lowry Theatre on Monday 9 December, bringing together individuals, businesses and community groups all passionate about driving change for the good of our planet and helping Greater Manchester reach its sustainability targets.
The day featured talks, workshops and networking opportunities to showcase how Greater Manchester is leading the way in the green transition and give and idea of the support and opportunities available across the region. Bee Net Zero hosted a workshop on the decarbonisation of industrial estates and business parks while other workshops focused on youth initiatives, green communications, green tech and innovation, decarbonising housing and the Innovation Accelerator at Energy House Labs.
The Bee Net Zero Workshop with GM Business Board Green Lead Steve Connor
This year’s summit was significant as it saw the launch of a new plan for environmental action across Greater Manchester, a new Transport Strategy for the region, as well as a new initiative to provide business support across the region. Learn more about each of these below:
5 year-environment plan
At this year’s Greater Manchester Green Summit, the region unvieled a new five-year environemnt plan to capture the benefits of green growth and create a city-region where everyone can live well in a nature-rich environment.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, launched the new Five-Year Environment Plan to outline how the city-region can stay on target to hit carbon neutrality by 2038, while supporting communities to thrive and driving positive, clean economic growth.
The plan sets out how public and private sector organisations, national government, and communities can work together to become carbon neutral by 2038. Greater Manchester can be front and centre of the green industrial revolution, driving us to our 2038 ambitions.
Greater Manchester’s new Five-Year Environment Plan sets out how we will:
- Improve the standard of existing housing and build 30,000 new affordable net zero homes which will be cheaper to rent and cheaper to run as part of our Housing First mission to ensure everyone has a good, permanent home.
- Develop a fully integrated carbon neutral tap-in-tap-out public transport system. Our Bee Network is encouraging more people to get around by wheeling, walking, bus, tram and train. We are moving further and faster than any other region in the country on the electrification of our public transport and we will power the majority of the network with homegrown clean energy.
- Stimulate growth in clean sectors and create good quality long-term employment opportunities. Through the Greater Manchester Baccaleureate (MBacc), we are connecting young people with jobs and training in sectors that are growing in Greater Manchester, giving them a clear line of sight to careers in our Green Economy.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:
“We believe that achieving carbon neutrality by 2038, whilst very challenging, is still achievable – but we cannot do it alone.
“It’s by working together and with our communities, that we will ensure every person can live well in a healthy, nature-rich environment, while supporting our region’s economic growth.
“Our Five-Year Plan is our vision to capture the benefits and the opportunities of green growth, setting out how protecting and enhancing the natural environment can boost the economy and help communities to thrive.
“This is fundamental to the success of Greater Manchester, and I am proud that we are leading the way to becoming carbon neutral.”
Urgent action is needed to tackle carbon emissions and reverse the decline of the natural environment across the city-region. To have a significant impact on our carbon emissions, we must change the way we heat our homes and move people, goods and services across the city-region. We also need to reduce pressures on the natural environment and integrate nature into our urban areas.
The annual Green Summit brings together a wide range of organisations, community groups, and stakeholders, working alongside the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, to collaborate and chart a course towards achieving our carbon neutral targets.
Cllr Tom Ross, Greater Manchester Green City-Region Lead, said:
“Our new Five-Year Plan is incredibly ambitious as we are determined to hit our goals of being a carbon neutral city-region by 2038. Our natural environment is vital for everyone in Greater Manchester, and it is right that we put in place bold plans to protect and enhance it.
“The Green Summit is always a great environment for collaboration and highlights just how much work is happening with our partners to tackle the climate crisis.”
The first Five-Year Environment Plan was published in 2019 at the second Greater Manchester Green Summit. This new Five-Year Plan goes even further to reach our 2038 targets, while building on the progress made in the last five years.
It not only covers how we can reduce carbon emissions from our buildings, energy and transport infrastructure, but also outlines measures to increase economic growth whilst reducing our waste, improving air and water quality and increasing our resilience to future climate impacts.
Transport Strategy
Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2040 sets out Greater Manchester’s long-term ambition for transport and is an essential part of the city-region’s wider strategic framework.
Our vision is for Greater Manchester to have ‘World-class connections that support long-term sustainable economic growth and access to opportunity for all”.
It sets out a strong commitment to provide a transport system which: supports sustainable economic growth and the efficient and effective movement of people and goods; improves the quality of life for all by being integrated, affordable and reliable; protects our environment and supports our target to be net zero carbon by 2038 as well as improving air quality; and capitalises on new technology and innovation.
By 2040 the region hopes that 50% of all journeys in Greater Manchester to be made by walking, cycling and public transport. This will mean one million more sustainable journeys every day enabling us to deliver a healthier, greener and more productive city-region..
Delivering a world-class, integrated public transport network is essential in enabling people to live productive and fulfilling lives; for thriving communities and neighbourhoods; for economic growth and for a green environment and sustainable future.
Bee Net Zero Commitment
Also at this year’s Greater Manchester Green Summit, Bee Net Zero a partnership chaired by GM Business Board (LEP) Green Lead Steve Connor, launched a new commitment,
encourage the region’s businesses of all sizes and sectors to become greener, more resilient and save money.
So far, 22 businesses across a range of sectors including Ikea, United Utilities, Manchester Airports Group and Coronation Street have signed the commitment, showing their dedication to making positive changes in their organisation and support the region in becoming a green leader.
Businesses that commit will also be the first to hear about webinars and events from Bee Net Zero partners that aim to demystify green technologies and support the net-zero transition. They’ll also be able to promote their commitment to sustainability to improve their attractiveness to customers, talent and current employees.
To help the region meet its target of becoming net zero by 2038 and create a greener, healthier future, Greater Manchester needs the support of its business community.
From high-emitting manufacturers to local businesses and even the voluntary sector, every business can take small steps to become more sustainable which is why the Bee Net Zero partnership is now looking for more businesses to make the Bee Net Zero Commitment.
It’s not just about supporting the region, becoming greener makes great business sense. Businesses that take steps to reduce energy bills, reduce waste or become early adopters of green tech will give themselves a competitive advantage and reap the benefits of cost savings.
Research from Electricity North West has found that 36% of Greater Manchester businesses considered reducing carbon emissions to be a priority. The Bee Net Zero partnership hopes that region-wide collaboration can increase this number to drive substantial change.
Bee Net Zero aims to make Greater Manchester the easiest place in the UK to become a net zero organisation. Its partners can offer free, impartial and tailored support to create decarbonisation plans, source and install green tech with local suppliers, engage employees on the journey to net zero, promote sustainable transport, take advantage of green finance solutions and become an early adopter of green innovations among other things.
Support can range from making big changes like installing solar photovoltaics or electric vehicle chargers to taking small steps to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “We want to create a movement of businesses in Greater Manchester who are committed to reducing their carbon emissions. Bee Net Zero can provide all the tools and resources you need to start that journey.
“By taking some simple steps, you can save money on energy bills and running costs. The North West has a massive opportunity to be at the forefront of a green industrial revolution. Our business community in Greater Manchester can lead the way – so join us by making the Bee Net Zero commitment today.”
Steve Connor CEO of Creative Concern and Green Lead for GM Business Board said “Sustainability and the transition to net zero is becoming increasingly important for businesses as it means they can remain resilient, competitive, attractive to talent and ultimately do the right thing for the planet. Bee Net Zero is here to make that transition as easy as possible for businesses in Greater Manchester by bringing together trusted partners in a unique cooperation.
“We’re asking organisations of all sizes and sectors to make the Bee Net Zero commitment, to show they’re serious about driving change in their organisation and to ensure they receive the support they need to take action. By creating a collaborative and city-region-wide approach, we can position Greater Manchester as the best destination for doing green business.”
Learn more about the Bee Net Zero Commitment.
Japan 2025: Greater Manchester sets out plans to boost trade, investment, and cultural connections
Distributed on behalf of the Greater Manchester Japan Steering Group
Greater Manchester is getting ready to take its partnership with Japan to the next level in 2025, as the city-region prepares for a host of major events, activities, and visits to celebrate its historic ties with the country and boost trade, investment, and tourism.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, and Jo Ahmed, Honorary Consul of Japan in Greater Manchester, are announcing today (Tuesday 16 July) plans to make Japan a key focus for broadening and deepening diplomatic, business, cultural, and civic links throughout 2025.
The announcement follows the landmark Greater Manchester mission to Japan in December 2023, which saw the signing of a new partnership with the city of Osaka, and a return visit last month to the city-region by a senior delegation from the Japanese city of Osaka, including Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama.
As part of that deal signed last year, Greater Manchester will appear at EXPO 2025 Osaka. The city-region will partner with the Department for Business and Trade and the UK Pavilion, as well as with Osaka City, to deliver in a week-long series of events in June 2025 to engage with political leaders, trade officials, and Japanese business – putting Greater Manchester centre-stage at the biggest international event of the decade.
Then in September 2025, Manchester will host Japan Week, an international cultural festival featuring hundreds of Japanese performers showcasing traditional Japanese culture. Organised by the International Friendship Foundation, Japan Week 2025 will be a special 50th anniversary of the event, which has been held in major world cities including Boston, Seville, and Athens.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “2025 will be the year that Greater Manchester and Japan take our partnership to the next level. Our city-region has a special connection to Japan that dates back centuries but is always forward-looking – focused on cooperation, innovation, and growth that benefits our people and places.
“We are ready to put Greater Manchester at the heart of the biggest international event in the world in Osaka next year, seizing new opportunities to boost trade, investment, and tourism – and we are excited to welcome the hundreds of performers and creators who make up Japan Week to our city-region.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, added: “Manchester is a diverse and welcoming city enriched by our international communities. We’re proud of our historic connections with Japan and look forward to continuing to develop new and renewed partnerships throughout 2025 at EXPO and Japan Week. Culture is a great way to foster mutual understanding between cities and countries, and I am looking forward to seeing that exchange play out both in Japan and here in Manchester.”
Mayor of Osaka, Hideyuki Yokoyama, added: “The recent delegation visit to Greater Manchester was incredibly meaningful. It bestowed a substantial occasion for both city-regions to further promote exchanges. I am also delighted that Greater Manchester delegates will be visiting Osaka in June 2025 for EXPO, and we sincerely look forward to welcoming them. Finally, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Manchester on being the host for the prestigious Japan Week. From Osaka, we wish for the utmost success of your events throughout 2025.”
Jo Ahmed, Honorary Consul of Japan in Greater Manchester, added: “As Honorary Consul of Japan and Chair of the Manchester Japan Steering group, it is fantastic to see the strength of partnership that has developed between Greater Manchester and Japan across several areas including business and innovation links as well as through culture and sport. I am so pleased that Greater Manchester will be taking part in EXPO 2025 and hosting the 50th Japan Week here in Manchester, and look forward to seeing the untold benefits these events will bring.”
Greater Manchester has a longstanding relationship with Japan, and specifically Osaka, dating back to the 19th century when a group of students from the Satsuma region travelled to the city-region to learn about the revolutionary industrial technology that was being used in the local cotton industry. This collaboration boosted the industrial revolution taking place in the East, and helped Osaka become known as the “Manchester of the East”.
More recently, the city-region’s engagement with Osaka has included a partnership signed in December 2023 which committed both parties to closer collaboration and cooperation at an inter-city level, seeking to strengthen exchanges on environmental policy areas and the delivery of net zero objectives; to promote economic opportunities and develop robust collaborative ties; and to boost innovation and educational links between the universities in both city-regions.
Japan is one of Greater Manchester’s most important economic partners. Greater Manchester exported £99m worth of goods to Japan in 2022, and in 2021 service exports from the city-region to Japan were valued at £151m – putting Japan in Greater Manchester’s top 10 service export markets.
Japan is also a major market for foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK, consistently ranking among the top 15 source countries for FDI over the past three years. Japanese companies already established in Greater Manchester include Nippon Electric Glass, Kansai Electric Power Company, Hitachi Astemo, Daikin and Shimadzu.
Final dates, venues, and the full programme for Greater Manchester’s presence at EXPO 2025 and for Japan Week 2025 will be announced in the coming months.
Any Greater Manchester business or organisation that would like to be involved in either event is encouraged to contact international@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk
Business 2050: Greater Manchester Business Board Chair Lou Cordwell joins discussions on the future of tech in business
Entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders gathered at Alliance Manchester Business School at The University of Manchester on Thursday 27 June 2024 for Business 2050 as part of the University’s Festival of Business.
The event explored how in a rapidly changing world, businesses can thrive and adapt to new technologies, changing attitudes to work and the threat of climate change. As the Original Modern City, Manchester pioneered new ways of working and employment rights and led innovation. The event asked participants to jump forward to 2050, and image what Manchester and the world will look like. Discussions covered how businesses can navigate new challenges, how work cultures be fostered in a world of remote or hybrid working and how to work alongside advances in technology to ensure productivity.
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Panellists included leading entrepreneurs and business professionals from a range of sectors; from retail to agricultural tech, alongside representatives from The University of Manchester.
Chair of The Greater Manchester Business Board Lou Cordwell joined the panel session “The role of technology and innovation in business” with Patrick Vizzone, co-Founder and CFO of Vertical Oceans and Mohammad El Hajj, co-founder ad CEO of Bright Biotech a startup specialising in plant-based production of high-quality and affordable proteins.
The panel discussed the opportunities and challenges facing business through the rapid advances of technology including the adoption of AI , lack of regulation and issues around personal data. The session explored the technology landscape and how organisations can prepare for the future.
Lou Cordwell opened the session with a keynote speech. She said “Many of the challenges we face in our society and our economy can be fixed in theory, by incredible technologies that are hitting different gears. Innovation science and technology is absolutely integral to the future prosperity of our country.
“The Manchester stars are without doubt aligning, if you spend any time in the city you’ll feel the excitement. We are outperforming the UK in terms of economic growth and productivity. Right at the heart of our growth agenda is science and technology. “
On opportunities and threats to business Lou Cordwell said “The opportunity is to move to a more agile way of thinking about your business plan. You’re going to be asking your team to pivot together and change in ways you couldn’t envision at the beginning of the year. You don’t need to worry too much about being prescriptive about the changes in technology that are coming. You have to be clear on your ambition and build that agility into your systems to build on those opportunities as they arise. You need to think different it about what being strategic in business is.”
When asked about how the relationship between policy making and innovation could be improved, Lou Cordwell said “Politicians often have never worked in a business environment so how they collaborate with business leaders to create those policies needs to change. In the UK we’re seeing the need for that to happen in a place-based way
“Manchester has benefitted hugely from its leadership and stability, that allows us to long term plan. Sometimes you have to think of that 20, 30, 40 year view and politicians don’t always think like that. Politics bends policy our of shape so the more we can get political stability and get politicians to work with businesses the better. The challenge is, you can’t stop progress.”
The event also provided opportunities for networking and connecting with Alliance Business School team members to learn more about the opportunities available to them.
The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) is fuelling the region’s Industrial Biotechnology Revolution
Last month saw the launch of The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) in Manchester, which is set to position Greater Manchester and The North West of England as a global hub for Industrial Biotechnology Innovation.
Industrial Biotechnology is predicted to be worth £2.78tr by 2030 and therefore can have a significant impact on our region’s economic potential. By harnessing the region’s already strong scientific and research expertise to accelerate knowledge exchange and innovation in this space, the catalyst can help supercharge Greater Manchester’s growth in this sector.
Following the launch event, we met with Prof Aline Miller, Principal Investigator, Professor of Biomolecular Engineering and Associate Dean for Business Engagement and Innovation to discuss the aims of the IBIC, how it can support our region and why now was the time to open such an ambitious and innovative research collaboration in the city.
Firstly, can you tell us more about The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) and what its main aims are.
The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) is all about generating impact from academic research by helping businesses transfer to sustainable manufacturing processes. By looking at using biological resources within the manufacturing process to make the production of everyday items like food, fuels and medicines more sustainable. The confluence of consumer demand, carbon emission targets, and technological advancements requires new approaches to manufacturing, especially using methods that are divested of petrochemical feedstocks, and industrial biotechnology offers the solutions.
The Catalyst is a consortium of academia led by The University of Manchester and cocreated by the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan, Bolton and Salford, it’s also linked in with the civic University of Manchester. It’s working across the North West; Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Cheshire.
The aim is to build on the strong foundation knowledge and capability that we have across these universities and translate it into businesses, to support them as they transition into a more eco-friendly and efficient way of working.
Why did now feel like the right time to launch?
The real driver is the net zero agenda, trying to move away from fossil fuels as the supply chain material. With fossil fuels, the supply chain is running out, it’s not good for the environment and we’re limited in terms of what can we do with streams currently generated in the UK. We now need to look at the full circularity of products from the early stage supply chain to the product and how you recycle the product. This launch is timely in terms of the foundational science starting to emerge and the good capability available.
How will The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) support the growth of business within Greater Manchester?
Our remit focuses more on the researchers and commercialisation side, helping them to think a little bit more with a business focus and develop entrepreneurial skills. We help researchers do customer discovery to build a value proposition and business proposal to generate funding, supporting the commercialisation of ideas. We then help these researchers and early-stage businesses to work within the wider GM and North West business ecosystem with support networks the GM Business Growth Hub and ID Manchester.
We do, however, have a couple of initiatives that can support existing businesses, as two-thirds of our funding pot is being used to help us create and strengthen relationships across the region.
How will Industrial Biotechnology support Greater Manchester’s economic growth?
Industrial Biotechnology has been recognised as a strong industry base within GM and the North West more broadly, it covers chemicals manufacturing materials and pharmaceuticals. Within that there’s also the food manufacturing and microbrewery industry, it all loops together. Even though it’s not badged as biotech these manufacturers can use biotech within their processes to become more sustainable.
The opportunity that biotechnology offers is to update manufacturing processes by using more efficient feedstock, using less organic solvents, and potentially looking at bioenergy sources and how you create the energy to run your plants that can come from more sustainable biotech routes.
We’re taking this industrial revolution one step forward to become the industrial biotechnology revolution.
Why did you choose to be based in Greater Manchester as the base for this project?
Manchester has strong research assets like the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) which has been the flagship institute of The University of Manchester since 2004. It’s home to more than 40 research groups leading pioneering projects to advance our knowledge and use of biotechnology. The Institute won the Queens Anniversary Prize back in 2019 – a prestigious accolade that rewards an outstanding contribution made to the UK by an academic institution – for biotechnology research.
With assets like MIB, Greater Manchester has built up a really strong knowledge base and a strong track record of delivery.
Plus, with the creation of innovation districts ID Manchester, this felt like the right time in GM to accelerate our research and connect with existing businesses, emerging spinouts and scale-ups that are new to Manchester’s manufacturing zones like Atom Valley and MIX MANCHESTER.
What was the draw of ID Manchester as an innovation district when choosing a location?
Once complete, ID Manchester will have a real ecosystem opportunity for companies that want to spin out in this space. We’ve got support mechanisms available and the catalyst will offer support and training. With ID opening the Reynolds incubation hub in September this year it’s very good timing. We’re aiming to create that network of connections to help businesses incorporate scale-up opportunities and encourage knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
Having innovation ecosystems like ID Manchester, Atom Valley, MIX MANCHESTER, Manchester Science Park and The Oxford Road Corridor on our doorstep alongside the knowledge base coming out of the universities, if we marry the two together it will allow great innovation from the university to come out and grow. However, it will also allow that innovation to stay in the Greater Manchester region. We’ve got the people, the businesses and the skills in the region. We’re also looking to develop the skills in line with the research so we’ve got the workforce to take this forward into the future and keep talent within the North West. This will drive investment and if we’ve got this investment in the North-West we can keep it in the region and within the UK.
Learn more about the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC) here.
Manchester Leaders discuss Manchester’s past and future growth at Urban Futures Event
On Wednesday 22 November 2023, Chair of the GM Business Board Lou Cordwell joined in discussions at Avison Young’s breakfast event ‘Urban Futures: What’s next for Manchester’ covering the growth within the city and how to best leverage infrastructure and investment opportunities to fuel further, inclusive growth.
Barry Crichton, Managing Director of Avison Young Manchester opened the session by discussing Avison Young’s perception of Manchester’s growth story and why it has proven so successful. He discussed the role of partnerships and collaboration, infrastructure, skills and how Manchester compares against other leading cities across the UK.
He said, “Manchester is continually held as an exemplar of local authority, it continues to punch above its weight against the rest of the UK”.
Then, Barry Crichton hosted an ‘in conversation with’ session with Becca Heron Strategic Director of Growth & Development at Manchester City Council as she celebrates 2-years in post. Throughout the conversation, they discussed how Manchester has changed, the successes and the challenges Becca faced throughout her career as well as some of the projects she’s currently working on and opportunities for Manchester.
She mentioned the ongoing redevelopment of Strangeways which will be one of the city’s most complex regeneration projects to date and the plans for the redevelopment of Holt Town and Wythenshawe, with emphasis on the importance of understanding the role of each of the neighbourhoods and what it means to the community.
Becca Heron said, “I think Manchester has proven more resilient than a lot of places. I’m not saying it’s easy and getting schemes to stack up is really challenging but we have seen demand maintained and growing in Manchester, and a lot of developers are seeking Manchester as an alternative to London.
“Manchester’s resilience is a testament to its partnerships. It comes back to being clear about what your ambition is for an area. What has really stood Manchester in good stead is that we’ve got a really good track record of looking at what drives an area, what the challenges are and what we want to achieve to make a strategic vision. Then, you can find partners that share your vision.”
When discussing the future ambitions of Manchester and the wider city-region, alongside plans for a refreshed economic strategy, Becca Heron spoke of the need for improved skills provisions, retaining talent, investing in infrastructure, improving connectivity and working towards a more sustainable, net zero future. However, she made it clear that the most important factor within Manchester is driving that growth to benefit the city’s growing population and the region’s business community must play a role in supporting this.
Becca Heron said, “Manchester is still very much about growth, we know we need to see more of it. Your approach will always have to evolve, but Manchester is still about growth, our new economic strategy will show that. Not all of our residents feel connected to the growth in the city centre so it’s about how can we do more of the upskilling and plugging businesses into the agenda?”
Next, it was time for a panel session where Becca Heron was joined by Lou Cordwell, Chief Creative Officer of Magnetic North and Chair of Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP), Andrew McIntosh, Director of Place at Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Tom Wilmot, Managing Director of Capital&Centric. The panel was chaired by Nicola Rigby Principal at Avison Young.
In the panel session, Lou Cordwell discussed the city’s attractiveness to international businesses and investors, the potential of the city in terms of talent, ambition and understanding of a total ecosystem as well as the value in strategic partnerships, like the one Greater Manchester has just established with Cambridge to create the first cross-UK Innovation ecosystem.
On the importance of tech to Greater Manchester’s future, Lou Cordwell said “Digital tech is phenomenally important to the Greater Manchester economy. Tech vertical as a sector that now employs thousands of people is now seen as a really central part of our economy. 15 years ago our leaders decided that there was not a sector that wouldn’t be touched by tech, whether that’s health innovation, property
“The success we’re seeing as the fastest-growing tech city in Europe is a testament to our foresight and long-term planning. It shows risk-taking and long-term bets does pay off.
“If you think of globally significant places, they’re significant because of their output. What’s useful over the past 2-3 years is that the backdrop in the UK is very focused on tech. There are not many places, I’d argue it is only Manchester, that can deliver on that UK vision.”
When asked about the impact of the decision to pull HS2, Lou Cordwell said “It’s a huge blow, you go back to things like our tech ambition, and a huge part of our proposition was that you could an international investor could drop half of its team in London, half in Manchester and have two talent bases within an hour of each other
Fortunately, we will always be pragmatic and we’ll always find a way, we have enough momentum that it won’t block our ambition.”
Andrew McIntosh Director of Place at Greater Manchester Combined Authority discussed Manchester’s devolution deal, what it means for growth and local communities as well as the challenges that come with it, particularly with funding.
He said “By thinking about a longer-term approach to regeneration and place-based development will start to close the gap and bring forward development for growth. Long-term plans that involve the local community.
“The potential is definitely there, collectively the more we can be successful in driving strategic plans the more successful we can be as a city region. Local Authority boundaries don’t mean much because normal people don’t realise they’re there half of the time. Greater Manchester is more of an economic region.”
Tom Wilmot Managing Director of Capital&Centric discussed why developers like him are choosing Manchester to partner with and how working with the local authority can help overcome challenges like rising costs, rising insurance policies and more.
He said “Transformational regeneration really excites us, not just Transforming for this generation but for generations to come which is why we are involved in Farnworth Green in Bolton, Wier Mill in Stockport and Piccadilly East in Manchester. We like to locate ourselves in an area with a strong local authority and a clear vision so we can work closely with public sector partners.
“There are clearly viability challenges in the sector at the moment, we are in an environment where we all need to pull together and be a bit more creative to unlock things. The projects of most strategic relevance should be the projects that get public sector support.”
Becca Heron then discussed the role of planning and collaboration, mentioning masterplans like the councils plans for Holt Town but also Greater Manchester’s Growth Locations and Places for Everyone schemes, she emphasised that places should not be competing but focusing on strengths to work together to create a stronger ecosystem.
She said “Trying to forecast changes is really difficult, we want to grow, we want to spread the benefits of that growth more widely so that people can grow throughout their lives within the city.
“Places for everyone is fundamental and is a testament to the close working and partnership across Greater Manchester. It’s about looking at how those places relate to each other, it’s a long-term vision. Turning that into investable propositions will be the trick.
“It’s not helpful that areas are putted against each other. When there are funding rounds we’ll be in competition with Leeds and Liverpool but what we need to do is work with those cities and improve that connectivity to benefit us all. There are different roles for each of those places. We should be trying to work with instead of compete and create an ecosystem.”
Manchester leaders call on businesses to enhance the city’s liveability credentials
Manchester was recently named the most liveable city in the UK and The Global Liveability Index ranks the city as the 28th most liveable city in the world, with London coming in 33rd.
The cities in the index are ranked according to their political stability, infrastructure, healthcare and access to green spaces. In some of these criteria, Manchester was outranked by European counterparts like Vienna, Copenhagen and Zurich.
At a breakfast event on Tuesday 10 October, Insider Media brought together decision-makers, placemakers and drivers for change across Manchester to discuss Manchester’s standing as a liveable city. Conversations covered what Manchester can learn from other global cities, and how it can become a more attractive place for people to live, work and invest. Panellists also explored how the city can adapt to be suitable for future generations, how it can retain talent and how it can take its leisure and culture offer forward.
Joining the discussions were Joanne Roney chief executive of Manchester City Council, Randel Bryan executive director of Factory International, Dan Hyde development director of MEPC, Stephen Hodder founding director of Hodder + Partners, Stuart Sayer North West strategic lead at Turner & Townsend, Marcus Dixon director of UK residential research, JLL and Professor Andy Dainty pro-vice-chancellor for education at Manchester Metropolitan University.
The panels debated at length Manchester’s growth journey and why it is an extremely liveable city, discussing a neighbourhood-led approach to development and the importance of creating new, free public spaces.
As the event was held in NOMA’s new building, 4 Angel Square, it felt apt to discuss the work MEPC have done to create a new sustainable mixed-use neighbourhood with the community at its heart. NOMA prides itself on nurturing communities, building relationships with local businesses and creating spaces the residents need. NOMA is an example of Manchester’s neighbourhood approach, creating a modern space for people to live, work, create and innovate that has people at the heart.
The panellists discussed how development partners and businesses should prioritise community spaces and the public realm when developing, one of the biggest challenges developers in high-density areas face is creating green, public spaces that work for the communities they serve.
Dan Hyde, Development Director of MEPC said “To give something longevity you need to have diversity and vibrancy. What we’re doing here at NOMA is creating something for everybody based on the green spaces and public realm we’re creating.
It’s important that these neighbourhoods have their own identity, there’s a lot of history and heritage assets around here that give a place an identity. What’s really important as Manchester evolves is connectivity, making sure those neighbourhoods are outward-looking and don’t become an island.”
Stephen Hodder founding director of Hodder + Partners said “Access to communal facilities is absolutely integral to the notion of liveability. St Michael’s will encapsulate everything about liveability. For me, what’s not being talked about in St Michael’s is the new public space we are creating in the middle, that public open space is key to liveability in the city. Wherever possible there is a responsibility to create public realm and green spaces.”
Joanne Roney, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council and Professor Andy Dainty pro-vice-chancellor for education, at Manchester Metropolitan University both called upon Manchester’s business community to support the liveability of the city, by helping to provide new opportunities and pathways for talent. Joanne Roney suggested businesses join the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter but also support the region’s skills agenda by working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to influence the future of integrated and industry-led technical education across the region.
Joanne Roney said “The key to closing the inequality gap is skills and wages. We have an opportunity under the devolution deal to really think about the post-16 skills programme, we really need businesses to work with us. I’m concerned about young people in this city thinking that the city is the place for them, businesses have a role in that by working with schools, supporting t levels and providing apprenticeships.”
Speaking for the University students, Professor Andy Dainty discussed the large volume of students and international students attending Greater Manchester’s universities and the roles that businesses can play in retaining this talent in the region.
Professor Andy Dainty said “We have almost 200,000 students across the city region and that’s a really good success story, we must be doing something right. As someone who has worked at a lot of universities and studied at them, I think that this is the best student city in the UK.
“We retain about 30% of students who come to us from outside of Greater Manchester. One of the ways we can improve this is for businesses to provide work opportunities at any level. There are also all sorts of opportunities for business and the uni to work together and support the innovation ecosystem.”
Stuart Sayer North West strategic lead at Turner and Townsend discussed the need for affordable housing to retain talent and create a truly liveable city that appeals to graduates. As Manchester city-centre grows, it’s vital that young talent can afford to live within it. This also means investing in green spaces and amenities that create a place people want to live in.
Stuart Sayer said “We have a city centre from an early careers point of view which is a really good place to live. Greener spaces, education and healthcare are things we can bring in. I think we’re at a very exciting point in the journey, going from a point where we’re attractive to graduates and that demographic to becoming a truly liveable city.”
Randel Bryan, executive director of Factory International discussed how businesses within Manchester’s growing creative sector are creating more opportunities for local people, helping to retain talent and ensuring that Manchester remains a vibrant, truly exciting place to live.
Randel Bryan said “When you look at Aviva Studios, it’s that brilliant example of the need for commercial infrastructure to be underpinned by a cultural offer. We always need to appreciate that audiences will congregate around great cultural moments and Manchester building and curating these moments lifts the bar of what’s happening in the city.
“The arts are becoming more dynamic career pathways. In terms of making Manchester a more liveable city, people need to have the best years of their life here, they need to want to stay here and raise a family here. But the sector doesn’t work unless you get the talent here and out of London. The idea that you can wake up in Oldham or Moss Side and have some of the world’s leading cultural programmes being made on your doorstep is inspiring and should drive more talent into the sector.”
As Greater Manchester strives to become a greener, fairer, more prosperous city region our leaders, development partners and businesses must work to ensure the city remains liveable. This means creating places that cater to communities and provide much-needed amenities without losing sight of affordability and culture. Businesses and leaders also need to create better opportunities for residents by collaborating on skills pathways, providing access to new industries and opening up routes to work.
A truly liveable city is one in which everyone can succeed and feel like they can live a great quality of life.
As Joanne Roney said “It’s great that we’re growing but let’s not forget the attributes of the city. If we can tackle the challenges, we’ve mentioned today we can be number one. This is without doubt the best city in the world.”
