Women Taking Up Space and Predictions for East Manchester
Ellie’s Reflections on the Two Biggest Property Conferences in the Calendar
Prior to my first foray to MIPIM, I didn’t have any set expectations about what it would be like. With all the enthusiasm of a Swiftie groupie, I went with an open mind and a determination to get the most out of it.
That being said, it was hard to dismiss the reports from veteran MIPIM delegates that the conference has historically been heavily dominated by men.
But, while I did notice this trend across the town’s restaurants and bars, the demographic within the Palais itself was, welcomingly, more balanced.
My overriding reflection on the conference, especially at the Manchester stand, was that there was a really strong female presence. I particularly enjoyed hearing Joanne Roney, Manchester City Council’s chief exec, on the City’s ambitions to grow its economic ecosystem over the next decade, with a focus on life sciences, manufacturing and fintec, as well as residential development.
I’m hugely encouraged to have not felt in the minority, and it has emphasised the importance of giving women more opportunities to attend, and that they take up space in these events. In many instances, rebalancing this inequality will require proactively prioritising female employees over their male counterparts, rather than leaving it to chance.
There’s Plenty More to be Done in Greater Manchester
MIPIM’s Manchester stand showcased a fantastic breadth of content, from the collaboration between northern cities to the importance of culture and there was an open and relaxed atmosphere paving the way for constructive and impactful conversations. It’s clear that everyone there was equally determined to make the most of the conference, quashing MIPIM’s past boozy characterisation.
From Greater Manchester’s perspective, I’m left with a clear sense that, despite the rate of development we’ve witnessed, there is still a huge appetite and opportunity to do more.
Yes, there’s plenty still to be done in Manchester and Salford’s city centre with a steady demand for new residential floorspace which is only going to continue. But importantly, we heard at MIPIM of the scale of opportunity outside the city centre, like at East Manchester.
Becca Heron spoke on how to drive growth and opportunity to new neighbourhoods, citing the rate of development in East Manchester. It’s an area that has already experienced dramatic change, with investment catalysed by the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and there’s plenty more to come. The recently adopted Holt Town Neighbourhood Development Framework envisioning a digitally-driven new town with capacity for around 4,500 new homes.
It’s an area that we know well, with live projects in Newton Heath and Openshaw at various stages.
A Sensitive Approach is Essential
Blessed with brilliant connectivity, we should be watching the space for how East Manchester will be transformed over the coming decade. With net zero targets creeping closer, there’s plenty of scope for new development in East Manchester to pick up the mantel and become an exemplary case study for highly sustainable neighbourhood regeneration.
But whether its East Manchester or another edge of centre neighbourhood, key to any project’s success will be the quality of the development. It’s not just about housing numbers but getting the right result and, crucially, delivering the best in quality. On our East Manchester projects we are intent on not just accepting more of the same, but to raise the bar.
Equally important is getting the right mix of market and affordable housing. As a sector, we must collectively learn lessons from the past to better anticipate and balance the needs of long-standing and new residents, to achieve genuinely sustainable and mixed neighbourhoods.
Is Political Change in the Wind?
With all these predictions, we must acknowledge the speculation that there may be a change in central government before the year is out.
This inevitably brings uncertainty, and it could have plenty of implications on the property sector. But, with Kier Starmer’s promise for greater devolved powers to boost local economies and deliver new homes, we’re hopefulthat if there were to be a change in government, the region will have more agency to aim high in East Manchester and beyond.
This week’s local elections will be a good litmus test for the outcome of the general election, though of course, in politics, nothing is ever certain! Whatever the outcome, we are confident that the power of Greater Manchester, which inspires us to look for the positive and make things happen, will prevail.
Continuing Discussions at the UK’s Main Real Estate Conference
Hot on the heels of MIPIM, we’re looking forward to connecting with familiar and new faces at the fast-approaching UKREiiF. I anticipate continuing discussions over how to support and boost growth in our regional towns, a topic which will form a central theme at the event.
There was an acceptance at MIPIM that our regional towns must deliver experiences (cultural, or sometimes less so!) to attract people in, and it’s something we expect speakers at UKREiiF to dig deeper into. With plenty of examples of how Manchester’s city centre has embraced the leisure sector (activities such as axe throwing and escape rooms are now a firm fixture), we should be proactively looking for opportunities to do the same across Greater Manchester’s regional towns, and over the Pennines.
I, for one, am really looking forward to continuing these discussions at UKREiiF in a few weeks’ time and making the most of opportunities to collaborate on delivering places that provide a richer quality of life for the people of Greater Manchester.
Get in touch to say hi, ahead of UKREiiF, and if you’d like to meet up at the conference.
