Manchester @ UKREiiF 2024 Day Two Roundup
All of the action and announcements from the Greater Manchester delegation on Day Two of UKREiiF 2024 on Wednesday 22 May.
Today was the second day of UKREiiF 2024, taking place in Leeds. Representatives from Greater Manchester’s delegation were out in force once again, networking, having transformative conversations and speaking on panel sessions to share expertise. With over 13,000 delegates from the property sector in attendance, it was a great opportunity to showcase the best of our city region and to put Greater Manchester at the heart of the conversation.
Topics discussed ranged from sustainability to the housing crisis, and Manchester successfully positioned itself at the forefront of new ideas and driving change.
Here is a roundup of all Greater Manchester’s activity from Day Two of UKREiiF 2024.
The day began at the Everyman Cinema, where Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority Eamonn Boylan joined the Addleshaw Goddard event “In conversation with city leaders: ambition, adversity and achievement”. The event was chaired by Director of Strategic Partnerships and Impact at Bruntwood Jessica Bowles and featured Robert Evans, Planning and Development Advisor from Homes England’s Cambridge Delivery Group.
The panel discussed how to drive investment into cities, the challenges that come with delivery, what devolution means for cities like Manchester and the benefits of collaboration in achieving success.
Eamonn Boylan said “Housing investment in smaller pots gives us more flexibility, we have to invest in models that work and the trailblazing deal worked for Manchester"
At the same time, Caroline Simpson Chief Executive of Stockport Council and the preferred candidate for Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority joined “De-Risking Planning With Community-Led Development” in the Bidwells Pavilion. Members of the panel included representatives from UCL, Office for Place, Nationwide Building Society, BDP and Bidwells.
The panel discussed how to bring communities on board with local planning and keeping development in-line with what different communities need to prosper.
Caroline Simpson said “One of the things to do is to tap into the pride that local politicians have and that takes an authority with confidence. In order to build that confidence, politicians need to have a clear narrative and vision, in Stockport over the last 10 years we’ve developed a clear vision for our town centre.
“That vision, confidence and sense of hope needs to come from our leadership but we have to back that up within our local communities. There are some really tactical things that play with a public that has a real sense of pride and connection with a place. The thing that we’ve tapped jnto in Stockport is connecting people back to what Stockport used to be like in its heyday and focused on those buildings and places that mean something. We’ve focused on breathing new life into those buildings in a tactical way that shows the public we'll deliver on our vision.”
Also, David Lynch, Director of Strategic Housing and Development at Manchester City Council joined “Breakfast Briefing: Supporting Social Mobility in Real Estate” with representatives from Landsec, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and DWF.
Over in the Royal Armouries Exhibition Hall it was time for “In conversation with Mayor Paul Dennett of Salford City Council”. The Mayor of Salford discussed the housing crisis, challenges that local authorities face with resources, finances and planning constraint as well as how Salford is finding solutions to these challenges.
Then Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Leader of Manchester City Council Bev Craig, CEO of Manchester Airport, Leader of Liverpool City Council and Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotherham held a press conference to officially launch the new Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board, which will develop a new railway to connect the two major city-region investment zones. The announcement took place 200 years and 2 days after the first meeting of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway company, and is significant as the proposals look back to a historic, place-based approach to railway construction. The railway is connecting two already thriving places to bring further opportunity and encourage growth in the wider north.
Andy Burnham said “This is North West history being made today. What we want to present to you today is a new way of building a railway, a place-based way of building a railway. You should build a railway by asking what it can do for this great region, this is about a route to prosperity. How do we get the railway to enable that growth?"
Steve Rotherham said “This is something that happens to be based in the North West but is of national importance. This is going to happen, we've got the budget and we genuinely have the best interest of the city-regions in our hearts".
On proposals for a new underground station at Piccadilly, Cllr Bev Craig said “By going underground we maximise the use of our land, we open up opportunity for businesses and we can maximise the opportunity to get the travel into Manchester right. This can be the linchpin of transportation in the North.
“This is a transformative vision. Why shouldn’t cities across the North have the same economic opportunities. Why can’t we become a globally significant innovation cluster?”
Then, over on the Wates Pavilion was Delivering Successful Public and Private Partnerships in the North. Becca Heron Strategic Director of Growth and Development at Manchester City Council joined John Laverick Managing Director of Warrington & Co, Chris Roberts Chief Development Officer at Bruntwood and Emily Tate Finance Director, Wates.
Becca Heron said “While built environment investment and transport infrastructure is important, the public-private relationship between universities and entrepreneurialism is just as important to bring new talent”
Chris Roberts said “One of the single biggest public-private achievements in GM was the metro tram lines, the clear shared vision and the public-private collaboration was really important to the city's success”
Meanwhile over on the Dockside Pavillion, it was time to talk sustainability with “Retrofit and Sustainability: Following the Golden Thread to Net Zero”. Rachel Eyre Head of Inward Investment (Advanced Manufacturing and Low Carbon) at MIDAS joined the panel with representatives from West of England Combined Authority, KSquared, Clarion Housing Group, Be First Regeneration and Calfrodseaden.
Rachel Eyre said “Greater Manchester has an accelerated target of 2038 to be carbon neutral and that target has made GM think about the road to net zero in a different way. It can’t be business as usual.
"The first thing GM has done at a region-wide level is create local area energy plans, which looked at a postcode level to work out which interventions would work in that area. It’s given us a really clear roadmap of where we need to go and has paved the way for innovation and engaging with businesses."
She also mentioned initiatives like Your Home Better to engage communities and the longstanding relationship with Daikin, which has led to an MOU to fit heat pumps in the region’s social housing.
Then on the Bidwells Pavilion, John Searle Director of Place at Salford City Council joined “How Do We Make BtR & Operational Living a More Attractive Investment?” with representatives from re:shape, Bidwells, Apache Capital Partners, Packaged Living and Bidwells.
Over on the Industry in Focus Pavillion, Stephen O’Malley CEO and Founding Director of Civic Engineers hosted a panel called “Inclusive Impact – Less Talk, More Real Change” with representatives from Public Practice, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Lavington, Walker Sime and L&Q.
The panel discussed how the built environment can create real change for the better, to create more equal, equitable and sustainable communities that are fit for the future.
Stephen O’Malley said” The key question is how do we build consensus for change? People are worried about the end of the month and not the end of the world, so how do we bring people along with us?”
At the Dockside Pavillion, Becca Heron Strategic Director of Growth and Development, Manchester City Council joined “Homes for Key Workers – Single Family Rental Solutions & Public/Private Sector Collaboration”. Alongside Becca was representatives from MAN GPM, Greater London Authority, Homes England, NHS Homes Alliance, Placefirst and Construction News.
Becca Heron discussed Victoria North Development. Over the next 15 years, there will be 15,000 new homes alongside health and education facilities inc hospital refurbishments
On the Sustainable Futures Pavilion it was time for ”Investing in Place Based Growth” with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Anna Heaton Partner, Real Estate & Co-Head of Transport, Addleshaw Goddard Cllr. Susan Hinchcliffe Leader, City of Bradford Council Tim Newns Managing Director for Levelling Up, Office for Investment Richard Robinson President - UK & Ireland, AtkinsRéalis, Louise Sunderland Partner - Local Government, EY and chaired by Kersten England CBE Chair, Bradford Culture Company.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham used the panel session to launch a new Mayoral Development Zone in Ashton Under Lyne in Tameside, which will bring growth, opportunity and change to the area. The MDZ hopes to bring in new infrastructure, homes and investment that will create a prosperous, well connected town inside Greater Manchester.
He said “The key for us is, it’s not just the city, it's how the city lifts everywhere. Our city is now so strong, it is having that effect an example of that is the Stockport Mayoral Development Zone. We are now looking at an approach that takes this around Greater Manchester. Today officially I am launching the Ashton Mayoral Development Zone in Tameside, it will be a plan for high-quality jobs and new homes”.
Over on the Places for Live Pavilion, a panel discussed “Unlocking a Sustainable Future for British Manufacturing”. Rachel Eyre Head of Inward Investment (Advanced Manufacturing and Low Carbon) at MIDAS joined the conversation with representatives from Caddick Construction, Durham County Council, Schneider Electric and JLL.
Rachel Eyre said “Devolution is enabling us to do more. Last year, we signed a deal for post16 skills budget, giving us more control to work with industry to understand the skills gap and commission the right training.”
At the same time in the Bury Theatre, Andy Burnham Mayor of Greater Manchester joined “The Second National Infrastructure Assessment: The Story So Far” with James Heath, Chief Exec of National Infrastructure Commission, Professor Sadie Morgan OBE Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission, Julia Prescot Deputy Chair, National Infrastructure Commission, Kate Willard OBE Chair, Thames Estuary Growth Board and Ann Zhang Economist, National Infrastructure Commission's Young Professionals Panel.
The panel discussed the challenges surrounded getting the right infrastructure into the right places, and the priorities of the National Infrastructure Commission to serve everyone, and ensure the country has the right infrastructure to drive growth.
Andy Burnham said “There are big lessons from HS2 and the debacle that that has been. Infrastructure should be built from the bottom up, it shouldn’t be chopped and changed. We'll deliver it because we want it done.
"Before you ask the question ‘what infrastructure do we need?’ You have to ask the prior question, ‘what is the infrastructure enabling in terms of peoples lives, the economy, jobs and growth?’ You have have get the questions in the right order.”
At 3pm, it was time for “Launch of the Public Sector Forum Guide – "Working in Partnership" in the Tournament Galleries. Tom Stannard, Chief Executive of Salford City Council joined representatives from Local Partnerships, the House of Lords, Local Partnerships, ARC Capital Market and UK Innovation Corridor.
At the same time Kirith Entwistle Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bolton North East, Labour Party joined “General Election 2024 Outlook: Social Infrastructure and Thriving Urban Centres” at the UKEDO High Hat Corner with other prospective parliamentary candidates.
Over on the Dockside Pavilion, Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett joined “Estate Renewal in the ‘New Era of Regeneration and Housing Delivery” to discuss the housing crisis and the serious investment needed to develop our country’s social housing. Other members of the panel were representatives from In Communities, Homes England, Schroders Capital, Livv Housing Group and Place Capital Group.
Paul Dennett said “In Salford we’ve created our own housing company, because the market & housing associations working with Homes England aren't providing the homes we need. The challenges around housing and homelessness are created by the system itself.
"Give local government the resources & let us get on with it. Bureaucracy is not going to solve the housing crisis. We know what we want to achieve in Greater Manchester & Salford so let us achieve it & create a better life for people.”
Then, finally on the Rethinking Places Pavilion, Paul Richards Director of Development and Regeneration, Stockport Council joined “Creating Healthy Towns and Cities” with Leeds City Council, Make It Happen Birkenhead, Muse and Walker Sime.
Paul Richards said “The new community in Stockport Town centre will see around 8,000 new homes, we want to build upon the current community and bring them along with us”
To make sure you don’t miss any sessions from the final day of the conference, take a look at our programme and keep an eye on @MCRMIPIM on X for live updates from the event.