Etihad Campus, Stadium and Collar Site Development Thread

[Keeper!]

I’m not sure reading it that the Grant Thornton work is wholly independent. I’m pretty sure it’s been commissioned - GT wouldn’t produce a study like that out the goodness of their heart and from their own resources - I suspect the MEN Arena caught wind of the development and quickly got GT to help them start a case against any challenge to their monopoly. The problem of course is that ADUG have got the City Council by the bollocks so I’d wager a considerable sum that the new arena will get waved through - regardless of any opposition.

Correct, I wonder if Mr Thornton was "sponsored" by the Arena?

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Correct, I wonder if Mr Thornton was "sponsored" by the Arena?

It’s more likely that the Arena people were aware that Grant Thornton were doing this project covering over cities and encouraged them to include the Etihad Campus plans. I don’t think there would be enough money in it for GT to contrive a report from scratch.

 

[NeilYoungIsBack]

The report will have been commissioned by the MEN's owners maybe alongside others whose interests are threatened.

Grant Thornton will have looked at the financial case and Oxford Economics the assessment of impact on other businesses and the wider economy. Oxford Economics are a very well regarded outfit, but they do occasionally get criticised for being over-enthusiastic on behalf of their clients. (e.g. an FT editor got stuck into them in a very public way recently over their assessment of Huawei's impacts on UK economy)



As part of the planning process (if it gets that far) the proposed new arena will also need an economic impact assessment. Someone similar to Oxford Economics will produce a much more benign assessment and the planning inspector (if there us an Appeal or a Call-in) will get to decide which evidence he prefers.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

The report will have been commissioned by the MEN's owners maybe alongside others whose interests are threatened.

Grant Thornton will have looked at the financial case and Oxford Economics the assessment of impact on other businesses and the wider economy. Oxford Economics are a very well regarded outfit, but they do occasionally get criticised for being over-enthusiastic on behalf of their clients. (e.g. an FT editor got stuck into them in a very public way recently over their assessment of Huawei's impacts on UK economy)



As part of the planning process (if it gets that far) the proposed new arena will also need an economic impact assessment. Someone similar to Oxford Economics will produce a much more benign assessment and the planning inspector (if there us an Appeal or a Call-in) will get to decide which evidence he prefers.

Good post. Also, as I think Maria said, if the Economic Impact Assessment is pretty good for Greatet Manchester overall then they will be reported.

It could be that the Etihad Campus Arena would take a limited amount of business off a few places, including Sheffield Arena that’s a bit of a shithole for watching gigs. There’s probably not much travelling distance compared with the Liverpool Echo Arena.

The Manchester Arena could suffer but the Grant Thornton report doesn’t seem very thorough.

 

[NeilYoungIsBack]

This new arena will and should get some close scrutiny, particularly in terms of impacts on traffic.

For match-going City fans this scrutiny is actually essential, we should welcome it.

From my point of view, it would be great if the new development gets its planning permission, but only with a binding commitment by the developers/land-owners to major reinforcement of public transport (rail, tram, bus) serving the area.

 

[Neville Kneville]

This is probably the first time a City proposal at the Etihad campus has generated some opposition. Not surprising, but the City council has to take an overall view, and not just a view in respect of the profits of the the Manchester Arena operator.

Not sure I follow the logic of the Rob Turner's argument in the previous post. He says that surveys suggest that if you move the visitors away from the City centre, then spending in the City centre will drop, well OK it might, but it will go up elsewhere. The City council has responsibility for all of Manchester, not just the City Centre, and who is to say what is the City centre and what isn't. At the moment it's regarded as what's inside the inner ring road, but that might change in time.

I don't think it will make a significant difference to the City centre.

There will just be more events in Manchester.

 

[Delboy352]

It almost sounds like the G14 whingeing that thy don’t want competition for their cash cow...at the end of the day, it will attract food outlets, hotels and other assorted components, so more opportunities for jobs...

 

[Marvin]

The very worst case scenario is a transfer of jobs and economic activity 2 miles South East of the manchester arena

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

I don't think it will make a significant difference to the City centre.

There will just be more events in Manchester.

It's a 20 minute walk from Picc to the proposed site but it's not much quicker for those going Picc to the arena. The distances are negligible.
We have a very committed set of concert goers in the area, judging by the number of shows and events held, and in any case it just means they have to avoid scheduling similar acts at the same time. If Kylie is at one venue and Metallica at the other, I can't see why there's an issue other than our 19th century transport system. It might make the Arena up their game, because it's a shithole and the acoustics are naff. It probably only does so well because people can get in and out WITHOUT going into the city.

 

[Neville Kneville]

It's a 20 minute walk from Picc to the proposed site but it's not much quicker for those going Picc to the arena. The distances are negligible.
We have a very committed set of concert goers in the area, judging by the number of shows and events held, and in any case it just means they have to avoid scheduling similar acts at the same time. If Kylie is at one venue and Metallica at the other, I can't see why there's an issue other than our 19th century transport system. It might make the Arena up their game, because it's a shithole and the acoustics are naff. It probably only does so well because people can get in and out WITHOUT going into the city.

Exactly.

But tbh it wouldn't even matter if Kylie was on at one & some other similar shite on at the other, provided those acts are popular.

But it needn't even be two music events, you could have Kylie at one & Monster Trucks or some shite at the other.

With the advent of Brexit, it would also be good for the low paid workers who set all this shit up, to have more than one venue available to make it easier for events to tour here.