Joint venture to redevelop east Manchester

Land around a former Commonwealth Games stadium is to be remediated following an agreement between a business, a football club and the city council.


New East Manchester (NEM), Manchester City Council (MCC) and Manchester City Football Club are to step up consultation and engagement with the surrounding community, as the working relationship between club and council was solidified last Thursday (March 3).

The work will focus on the land surrounding Manchester City’s Eastland stadium, which was originally constructed for the 2002 Commonwealth games at a cost of more than £100million.

Under the agreement the Eastlands Development Partnership, as the joint venture will be known, will become the vehicle to drive opportunities for land in and around the City of Manchester stadium and its neighbouring communities.

In the short term, land already owned by Manchester City Football Club on the Openshaw West site will be the focus of exploratory remediation in the coming weeks and months.

It is intended that the land in this area be made good in order that it becomes useable should the Club deem further development of football facilities on the site appropriate.

In the longer term development of land held by the parties, which when combined, totals approximately 200 acres will see a complete regeneration of the site.

Projects earmarked for the site include educational, recreational and swimming facilities which would form a part of the development of an Eastlands Community Sports Plan.

New East Manchester chairman, Simon Bate, said: “This is the latest milestone in the regeneration journey that East Manchester has been on for the past 15 years.

“We have already seen how the area has gone from having no economic future to one where public and private partners together have stabilised the area and put in place a proposal for economic growth.

“We now have a long-term plan which will act as a platform for our priorities and actions over the coming years, enabling businesses, local resident and visitors to benefit from future investment opportunities.”

Manchester City Council leader, Sir Richard Leese, added: “This framework along with the partnership will drive progress over the next decade and will not just secure the economic success of the area.

“But also be a truly groundbreaking relationship setting the benchmark in the world of regeneration.”

Luke Walsh

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