Major regeneration projects in Manchester city centre have the potential to create almost 60,000 jobs, according to a report.
Leading developments like First Street, the Co-op's new NOMA neighbourhood, the expansion of Spinningfields and re-modelling of the city's civic heart around St Peter's Square will be the key to boosting the region's economy and helping to find work for more than 80,000 people in Greater Manchester who are out of work.
The city centre alone has the capacity to deliver some 57,000 jobs by 2015 – around three-quarters of those expected to be created across Greater Manchester, according to a report of Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester council.
It comes as major players in the city were gathering at the town hall today to discuss how the city centre will evolve over the next year.
Sir Howard said: “What job forecasts tell us is we've got the potential to create so many thousand jobs over the next five or ten years and our job is to create the places and opportunities for the private sector to come and invest.
“Part of it is about how we link the city centre with transport, the labour market and broadband, making sure we've got the latest connections, but equally a lot of it is about creating new quarters like the Co-op, First Street, Spinningfields which are going to provide landowners and developers with the confidence to invest.”
The city centre employs more than 16,000 people in tourism and leisure, 11,000 in retail, almost 3,000 in health and 6,000 in education, according to the report which takes stock of work going on to regenerate central Manchester. It is also home to more than 50 international banks and is considered Europe's second largest media hub thanks to schemes like the Sharp Project and Media City at neighbouring Salford Quays.
Among the major development projects which will continue to boost jobs are First Street, which will be anchored by a new home for the Cornerhouse and Library Theatre plus two new hotels at the city's southern gateway.
It is expected to create around 11,000 jobs and attract at least 850,000 visitors – and £21m – a year. NOMA, at the north of the city centre, behind Victoria Station, will transform 20 acres and create at least 15,000 jobs.
The Corridor area along Oxford Road, between St Peter's Square and Whitworth Road, and including the former BBC site, is seen as having the greatest potential and could create up to 20,000 jobs over a decade.
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Business leaders have gathered at Manchester town hall this morning for the Manchester Annual Review.
The event, organised by CityCo, the city centre management committee, with panellists including council leaders and transport chiefs.
See a Storify of
tweets from the event here.
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Will all 60,000 people who get these jobs commute to work with Ham Air or will some wait for the flying pie?
All very well and good, BUT what about our RUBBISH public transport?
LOL - it says 57,000 jobs by 2015 - pinch me please - it is now 2012 which means a job explosion of near 20,000 a year into Manchester. I for one have to call for independent scrutiny on the practical v potential drivel that is coming out as the city aims towards elected mayors. Stop trying to fool the public. Lets us have facts on the city's future.
I love the use of the English language. "CAN, POTENTIAL TO CREATE" etc. In other word these are ideal goals not set in motion or even off the drawing board. How about a company is going to build or start first construction and looking for employees. Come on Manchester CC and MPs buck the trend and get the economy moving now instead waiting for your friend in labour party to be elected.
There won't be 60,000 new jobs, it's just that 70,000 jobs will move to 60,000 jobs in the centre (-10,000), People will have to travel more, other areas will decline and the fat cats will get fatter!
Let's play 'Think of a number between one and 50, double it and add three trailing zeros and the word jobs' and see how much the stupid politicians will give us. Depressingly familiar nonsense from the developers, who do nothing but develop their own wealth.
Great news - where do I apply for one of these jobs please?
Two (further) questions come to mind:
1. How will the osccupants of these additional 57,000 jobs in the city centre actually get to work?
2. What is "a media hub" ? How is its size measured? What is Europe's largest?