Greater Manchester Development Conference

Latimer Developments – Adam Wisher, Senior Development Manager

Latimer revel in taking disused buildings and land and transforming them into high quality residential developments. Whether it be the exciting Cocoa Works and its adjacent 11 acre brownfield project in York or the 1800 home 13 acre site between the River Aire and Kirkstall in Leeds city centre, Latimer (part of the Clarion Housing Group) are in the planning stages of delivering thousands of new homes. As part of this event, Adam will delve into their plans, project timelines and contribution to enhancing communities in Yorkshire and country wide.

Great Places Housing – Matthew Harrison, Chief Executive

Manchester based Great Places Housing has recently merged with Equity Housing Group to create a 24,000 home group. With a bright future ahead, Matthew with give more details on the group’s development pipeline and plans to create inclusive communities in Greater Manchester and tackle the housing crisis.

Ask Real Estate – John Hughes, Managing Director

Ask Real Estate are leading the delivery of the of a large-scale mixed use development on the River Tyne. Dubbed ‘Newcastle Gateshead Quays’ the new waterfront complex is minutes away from the Newcastle City Centre and is expected to provide a £30m boost to the regional economy and create over 2,000 jobs. The project will cost approximately £260m and once complete, the complex will feature a 12,500 seat arena, a conference and exhibition centre, a dual branded hotel, bars, and restaurants.

Rochdale Borough Council – John Searle, Director of Economy Director of Economy and Property

Rochdale Council have huge plans to redevelop on land around its 5 train stations. John will give an update on the thousands of homes due to be built and the millions of sq ft commercial space in the pipeline to be developed in Rochdale over the coming years and how to get involved in the schemes.

Built Environment Networking – Amanda Griffiths, Director

Amanda is one of the Co-Founder’s of Built Environment Networking – formed almost 10 years ago.

She’ll be hosting throughout the day, running the days proceedings and managing the interaction between our delegates and the speakers.

Investar Property Group – Michael Dong, Chief Executive Officer

Investar Property Group is a multi-award winning property developer in Manchester. The developers have a strong presence globally and across the region with several major commercial and residential projects taking place within the borough of Trafford. The £32 million Botanical Gardens scheme will deliver 149 residential units, whilst the £13m Paragon House overhaul will see 115 new apartments converted from the former Bruntwood office. Elsewhere the property group has acquired 40,000 sq ft less than half a mile away from Old Trafford Football Stadium to develop over 200 new homes.

Far East Consortium – Gavin Taylor, Executive Director of Property

Far East Consortium’s already huge plans for 4,000 homes at Red Bank in Manchester have now got even bigger having fleshed out the original idea to redevelop three plots along Dantzic Street with an additional 1,500 homes. As the development partner of Manchester City Council, the £4bn Victoria North regeneration project aims to submit an application for at Red Bank this year. Gavin will join the lunch to discuss their plans for the 37-acre site set to transform the Red Bank area of the city.

Wigan Council – Alison McKenzie-Folan, Chief Executive

Wigan is undergoing major redevelopment which is being driven by the council in partnership with Cityheart – namely the regeneration of Galleries Shopping Centre which will see an array of leisure facilities developed as well as a new hotel and 464 new homes. The £135 million scheme will generate over 600 jobs for the area as well as much needed housing and Alison will be on hand to discuss this major scheme for Wigan as well as the council’s future regeneration and housing plans.

Packaged Living – Sophie Gunn, Development Manager

It’s an exciting time for the team at Packaged Living with approval granted for their 350-apartment scheme in central Manchester and are also bringing forward similar sized projects in Cardiff and the South East. Sophie joins us to talk about their business’ growth and future pipeline while also detailing their new approach to residential development.

Oak View Group – Mark Donnelly, Chief Operating Officer

Plans to be build the UK’s biggest indoor arena in Manchester are taking shape. American firm Oak View Group will build the £350m venue close to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. The 23,5000 all-seater arena would be able to host around 120 major events a year, creating around 3,500 jobs during construction and 1,000 jobs once it opens for business.

Irwell Valley Homes – Claire Griffiths, Executive Director of Growth, Development and Assets

Irwell Valley Homes plans to build up to 260 homes across 90 acres of the estate, with a full application for the first 80-unit phase followed by subsequent phases, which include 180 homes and improvements to the existing Sale West Community Centre. Claire will expand on the details and reveal their wider plans in Greater Manchester over the coming years.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority – Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive

As an enabler of regeneration and investment across Greater Manchester’s boroughs, the combined authority are at the forefront of the ‘levelling up’ agenda. At the top of the organisation, Eamonn has prioritised creating healthier, more sustainable and smarter cities as part of their “Places for Everyone” vision. Eamonn will speak about how they are leading the charge in unlocking new regeneration opportunities for investors and developers who share the Combined Authority’s vision and the investment going into creating an integrated transport system in the region through the latest devolution deal.

MIDAS Group – Tim Newns, Chief Executive

In the three years since the MIDAS Partnership was formed, MIDAS has increased its investment pipeline by a third and has generated more than £800 million GVA for the city region, with £231 million GVA in the last financial year creating 3,458 jobs in the city region. Tim will share more about how MIDAS are supporting the city region’s recovery from the pandemic and how they are attracting more investment to Greater Manchester which will lead to more development, jobs and economic growth.

Manchester City Council – Pat Bartoli, Head of Regeneration

With a multitude of major regeneration projects taking place throughout the city centre, Pat is one of the masterminds behind transforming Manchester. As part of this session, Pat will talk in depth about the council’s vision for the region over the next 10 years while sharing insight into which parts of the city are priority for development.