Manchester Innovation Hub: £1 Billion Plans Await Feedback
Public Consultation on Manchester’s Ambitious Science and Innovation Campus
Manchester Airport is launching the Manchester Innovation Hub, a vast multi-use campus covering 2 million square feet. This significant project, named MIX Manchester, has opened its doors for public opinion through an eight-week consultation period.
Manchester Innovation Hub: A Vision for the Future
Spanning a 60-acre plot, the MIX Manchester masterplan, crafted by architects Sheppard Robson, aims to become the UK’s premier science and innovation hub. Situated just 400 metres north of Manchester Airport, the developers have strategically positioned the site between the M56 motorway and Enterprise Way.
The ambitious project has an estimated gross development value exceeding £1 billion. Moreover, it aims to enhance Manchester’s connectivity and innovation capabilities. The site, formerly known as Airport City, has been identified as a crucial regeneration area due to its proximity to a major international gateway.
Diverse Facilities and Job Opportunities
The MIX Manchester campus will feature a mix of large and medium-sized advanced manufacturing facilities, ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 square feet. It will also provide up to 100,000 square feet dedicated to research and development, alongside office spaces. Moreover, the development promises to create around 8,000 jobs in sectors like manufacturing, research, and office work. Additionally, it will offer hotel and leisure facilities.
Investment and Readiness
The project has already seen £30 million in joint venture capital invested in infrastructure improvements, such as highways and utilities, making the site ‘shovel-ready’. JLL and Track Real Estates are the appointed agents managing the project.
Manchester Innovation Hub: Community Engagement
Gareth Jackson, Group Property Director at Manchester Airports Group, expressed enthusiasm for engaging with the community to ensure the development meets local needs. The public’s feedback will shape the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF), prepared by planning consultant CBRE. Subsequently, we will resubmit the SRF for council approval.
Council’s Support and Upcoming Events
Cllr Gavin White highlighted the campus’s potential to create thousands of jobs and regenerate Wythenshawe. Furthermore, it will reinforce Manchester’s global leadership in innovation.
Manchester City Council’s Executive Committee approved the draft SRF on 24 July. To facilitate further discussion, in-person consultation events will be held at the Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre in Wythenshawe on 9 September from 9:30am to 2:30pm and on 17 September from 4:30pm to 7:30pm.
For more details on the consultation process, visit the project’s consultation page.
