Joint venture partners Bruntwood SciTech and The University of Manchester have submitted a strategic regeneration framework (SRF) to Manchester City Council for the university’s former North Campus site.
The framework sets out a vision for the new £1.75bn ID Manchester city centre district which will offer more than 4m sq ft of space, with the potential for more than 2m sq ft of commercial and retail space and more than 1,500 homes.
The new district will be centred around advanced materials, health innovation, digital technology and biotech and in addition to the creation of new space the development will “breathe new life” into key heritage assets on-site, such as the Sackville Street (pictured) and Renold buildings and Vimto Park, and adopt a “living landscape” approach to the district’s nine acres of public realm.
The new SRF will update and replace the 2017 North Campus SRF and the city council’s executive committee will be asked next week to endorse it and approve the launch of a public consultation on the proposals.
Lou Cordwell OBE, director at ID Manchester, said: “Over the next 15 years, we have the opportunity to design a whole new district of the city that will establish Manchester as a global leader for applied innovation and drive new skills, ideas and economic growth in both Manchester and the UK.
“ID Manchester marks a step change in the UK’s ambition to be a world leader in science and tech, not only supporting the UK’s innovation strategy, but also creating the exemplar for inclusive innovation – our values of sustainable growth, inclusivity and positive social impact will be at the heart of ID Manchester. We’re excited to share our plans with the public and welcome their feedback on how ID Manchester can benefit Greater Manchester communities.”
John Holden, associate vice-president for major special projects at The University of Manchester, added: “ID Manchester is an exciting opportunity for new ideas and research to be commercialised and scaled up in Manchester, centred on the Oxford Road Corridor, and to create thousands of high-quality jobs in future-facing industries.
“As one of the world’s leading innovation districts, it will have an emphasis on driving inclusive innovation that works for people and the planet. This is a critical mission for the University, which is ranked first in the UK, first in Europe, and second in the world in the 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, based on our performance against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“ID Manchester will bring huge economic benefit to the city and make a major contribution to Greater Manchester and the national government’s ambitions to use R&D and innovation as an enabler for job creation and levelling up in the UK.”
Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester is known across the world for its industrious history, but Manchester’s economy has been transformed over the last two decades as one of the fastest growing in Europe. A growing economy, with people at its heart. The Oxford Road corridor and its environs has been central to Manchester’s innovative spirit for generations – a globally recognised hub for education, innovation and research.
“The ethos behind ID Manchester continues that tradition, creating opportunities for the city’s emerging specialist sectors in health, advanced materials and biotech to develop and grow. We welcome this level of ambition to diversify and grow our economy – while creating thousands of new jobs alongside pathways to learning and apprenticeships for Manchester people to realise their potential, sharing in the success of the city.”
