The regeneration of Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium and the land around it presents arguably the biggest opportunity for transformation the borough has ever seen. The council and its partners discussed how to maximise the potential of that project and others in the pipeline.
You can hear our panellists’ main takeaways from the conversation in the video at the top of this article.
Participants
Jeremy Hinds, director of planning, Savills
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader, Trafford Council
Stuart McCrone, project director, Glenbrook
Anna Bensky, development planning manager, Peel Land
Chris Roberts, development director, Bruntwood
Richard Maxwell, director, CBRE Capital Advisors
Richard Roe, director of place, Trafford Council
Katie Dean, land and partnerships director, Keepmoat
Chaired by Dan Whelan, deputy editor of Place North West
Key talking points
The regeneration of Old Trafford and the land around it presents an opportunity to deliver a world-class sport and culture destination and, in the not-too-distant future, Trafford as we know it could be very different, panellists agreed.
“In 10 years’ time this place will be transformed. The transformation is happening now,” said Jeremy Hinds, director at Savills.
“The cranes on the skyline are testament to significant new investment. It will look a significantly different place and it will be more vibrant.”
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of the council, agreed that change is coming, saying that Trafford in 10 years “will be a younger place” thanks to the delivery of high-density housing in the Wharfside area of the borough around Old Trafford.
While the Old Trafford Regeneration project is taking up a lot of column inches, it is crucial that other schemes elsewhere in the borough are not forgotten about, the panel said.
Participants were in agreement that the borough’s town centres, including Sale, Urmston, and Stretford, must not miss out on the regeneration movement.
Attention now must turn to delivery. The council has put in place plans that have given the private sector partner certainty and nurturing those partnerships will be key going forward, according to Anna Bensky of Peel Land.
“The focus on delivery is absolutely crucial,” she said. “There has to be great partnership working between the public and private sector with an element of realism and trust.”
For more from this roundtable discussion, you can simply watch the video at the top of this article or on the Place North YouTube channel. Learn more about Savills by visiting savills.co.uk