LEXSTARproject
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A consistent long term strategic ambition for the Etihad Campus which has been articulated in successive strategies has been the need to diversify the pattern of uses on the Etihad Campus, create a wider profile of activity day by day and all the year round and fully exploit the latent economic capacity of the Etihad Campus as a whole. This would maximise the destination role of the Etihad Campus and drive investment and job creation not only for East Manchester but for the City as a whole. 45 The changing economic and demographic profile of the area has led the Etihad Campus partners to consider the potential for commercial offices to the east of the Etihad Stadium, whilst maintaining vistas to the iconic Etihad Stadium. This is likely to be based upon: Creating a specification of product which is attractive to sports-related occupiers who are drawn to the Etihad Campus by anchors such as City Football Group, the Manchester Institute of Sport and NGBs; An emphasis on the development of a sports eco-system which provides shared services, amenity facilities and an active management approach to develop tenant communities; Attraction of an initial significant occupier to complement the presence of the Institute of Sport and the existing and future sports and entertainment organisations located at the Etihad Campus; Securing an investor with a patient approach to capital investment with rental yields likely to increase over the medium term; and A robust and compelling branding and marketing strategy which establishes the Etihad Campus as a centre of national and international significance for sports and entertainment related businesses and organisations. The ERF should continue to allow for commercial space to come forward in this location and allow for the opportunity for sports-based businesses to locate here particularly when the Manchester Institute of Sport is completed. In addition to providing new commercial development opportunities on the Etihad Campus to provide the opportunity to develop a new Sport Tech cluster for the City there has also been a long term ambition to deliver a destination leisure and recreation offer as part of a diversified pattern of economic uses on the Campus. This ambition, now aligned with the proven resilience of the Etihad Campus’ transport capability, the increasing proliferation of sports based activities and the growing global recognition and success of Manchester City Football Club have become powerful influences on a number of international entertainment operators and investors who have now identified the Etihad Campus as an option for creating new facilities to respond to what they indicate are strong market opportunities to further serve the City and the wider region. One such opportunity is a new large indoor arena (with a capacity in excess of 20,000 spectators). International investors and operators see Manchester as one of the few cities in Europe with the ability to successfully host more than one large arena. It is known that these investors are evaluating locational options and are addressing the detailed business case for such an investment with a view to selecting a site and bringing forward detailed development proposals later this year. This and other facilities including a multi-plex cinema, an expanded food and beverage offer, and hotel development are seen by investors and operators as being potentially viable propositions given the changing and growing market for entertainment activities. The trends show that live entertainment has seen significant growth over the last few years. Most if not all forecasts show continuing and significant growth in live music and entertainment. To put this into perspective, across 69 venues surveyed in Europe, over 32 million people attended arena shows in 2016. The UK and Ireland led this figure, making up over 11m attendances alone.15 Of these, almost 40% were attending music concerts, with sports as the next leading category with 31.7% of tickets. 15 IQ Magazine (2017)46 The live music industry in the UK is also growing. In 2016 the sector was worth £80m in exports and £1bn in total GVA contribution.16 This was up on 2015 when the sector was worth £57m in exports and £904m in GVA contribution.17 Employment figures also grew from 25,150 people in 201518 to 28,538 people in 2016.19 In the UK, major events (those with crowds of over 10,000) generated £2.2bn and supported over 21,000 jobs during the four years after the 2012 Olympics.20Manchester as a music industry centre underlines this potential. There is also very strong international interest in the UK market for sports and entertainment-based activities (including Manchester). Experience elsewhere also suggests that if Manchester is to fully achieve its potential as a world class entertainment venue it will require facilities with the necessary flexibility to be able to embrace different venue configurations for live events including sports music and family shows; as well as facilities which respond to new hospitality demands and a requirement to meet changing visitor and artist expectations. While the provision of an arena could add significantly to the regeneration and local employment potential of the Etihad Campus and to the wider priorities for East Manchester, it is recognised that the Etihad Campus will be judged against the availability and suitability of other sites. It is also recognised that any planning proposals will need to be accompanied by a detailed Business Case explaining the overall benefits and market case. It will be for the promoters of a scheme to bring forward the detailed evidence to demonstrate the realism and sustainability of such an investment as well as the robust case underpinning the location all of which will be at the heart of a detailed and balanced assessment of the planning and development case which would need to be undertaken at the appropriate time by the Local Planning Authority. Similar criteria, in accordance with the requirements of planning policy, will apply to other entertainment facilities coming forward for the Etihad Campus which may become the subject of a planning application. Any such planning applications would have to address detailed transport impacts and would need to be accompanied by detailed proposals for the management of the network (and any necessary modifications) to sustain the demands for different facilities cumulatively and at different times of the day. There would also need to be detailed consideration given to the development of a new operational platform for the Etihad Campus not only to fully maximise efficiencies and functionality but to create an integrated approach to programming. Of paramount concern to the Council and residents will of course be the need to protect and enhance amenity in adjacent neighbourhoods to the Etihad Campus. If proposals for facilities are brought forward which are likely to generate significant increased demands on the transport network it will be essential that detailed proposals are also brought forward for the implementation of a controlled parking scheme with a coverage to be agreed by the Council following consultation with residents and businesses and with the costs of provision and operations underwritten by commercial third parties rather than directly by the Council. Subject to the above it is considered that the opportunity for an indoor arena within Manchester based on the Etihad Campus, along with the provision of other entertainment facilities should be allowed for in the next phase of development opportunities subject to detailed appraisal and analysis. 16 UK Music (2017)17 UK Music (2016)18 Ibid. 19 UK Music (2017) 20 London and Partners (2016) 47 In addition to the above opportunities, this area already benefits from an extant planning permission, granted in February 2014, to extend the Etihad Stadium and increase capacity from 47,670 to 62,170 on matchdays, and up to 63,834 for concerts. To date, the south stand extension has been delivered increasing capacity by 6,250. The introduction of committed and proposed developments could, subject to further analysis, transform the vibrancy of the Etihad Campus on non-match and Stadium event days. This could also bring about the opportunity for Manchester City Football Club to review its requirements for an expanded and improved retail store facility (in line with requirements from a new sponsor partner) combined with an improved visitor attraction ‘City Experience’ sales base and refreshed customer services centre. In terms of open space, the River Medlock Valley runs right through the site and development of the car park area north of the stadium will provide an opportunity for a strong green pedestrian and cycle linkage as well as acknowledge, in landscape terms, the buried river in the culvert below.
