Manchester> Development

▼What has been achieved in the past 12 months in the fringe areas around the city centre from which so much was expected prior to the recession, and what is in store in 2010? In association with Corridor Manchester and New East Manchester.

Greengate Embankment: John Hughes is director of Ask Developments, developer of the site bordering Salford near Manchester Cathedral. He said: "The Central Salford urban regeneration company was granted planning consent for the revised public realm plans which was a great result recently. It is now down to us as the developer to bring forward the first phase of the scheme. We are working very hard to secure a pre-let car park operator for a three-deck car park behind the railway arches. We hope to be able to confirm the operator soon and start on site in summer or autumn 2010, once legals and revised planning have been sorted. By then we expect the market for pre-let office occupiers to have warmed up again and would hope to be in talks with organisations about taking space.

"We would need at least 60,000 sq ft pre-let to start on site with an office building. There is consent for 440,000 sq ft of offices in total, which would be delivered in two or three buildings.

"In a good market we would have been in advanced talks with potential pre-let occupiers by now."

Oxford Road area: Jackie Potter is chief executive of Corridor Manchester, the partnership between universities, hospitals, private sector employers and the city council aimed at accelerating economic growth in the area around Oxford Road. She said: "The progress we have made this year has been to set the priorities more clearly from where the partnership was when I joined. That means establishing specifically what we are going to do in what timescale and agreeing it with the partners. We have made considerable progress in doing that and identifying opportunities for key strategic sites. We hope people realise a lot more about this area now and what can be achieved over the next ten years.

"The recession hasn't been as bad for the Corridor because we were at the planning stage anyway and have been able to position schemes to come forward in the upturn. That's not to say some schemes weren't affected. We're naturally disappointed First Street is not progressing at the speed it might have. The BBC site is still under review and we wait to hear what will become of that when they relocate to Media City after 2010.

"The first big scheme we will bring forward is the conversion and new build at the old eye hospital (pictured) into 100,000 sq ft of workspace for technical and research businesses. This will build on the good work of the science park and an OJEU tender notice is being published this week day for the eye hospital development.

"The Whitworth Art Gallery extension gets underway in 2010 which is a very exciting development to bring life back and focus the regeneration of that end of the corridor. We would like to see some associated public realm work around the Whitworth subject to approval from the Department for Transport.

"The important work to turn Oxford Road into a two-lane bus route with wider pavements and no private cars will begin early next year subject to final approvals from the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and Department for Transport. It is a £52m scheme and will greatly improve travel up and down the corridor for workers, students and visitors.

"The Manchester Metropolitan University plans for a new campus at Birley Fields have gone forward this year and funding is almost secured. Manchester University is demolishing the union building and creating a new Commons Building and new science buildings."

East Manchester: Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester, the urban regeneration company: "We had a review of our position at the beginning of the year to remind ourselves where we were and identify the gaps in the market. We wanted to send out a message that east Manchester would continue to see regeneration despite the recession. In essence £500m of work has started on the ground this year, aided by the public sector. The largest is the £200m Metrolink tram line to Ashton. There has also been the Greater Manchester Police headquarters [pictured below] at Central Park which is a £60m build. The £40m East Manchester Academy and the new district centre in Openshaw, also worth £40m, both went ahead. At one stage we thought the funding for Openshaw would not be secured as the banks made the terms harder and harder but we got there in the end with developer Dransfield.

"The most obvious change this year has been in the residential market which has been almost single-handedly propped up by the public sector. In our best year, 2008, we had 800 completions of residential units in east Manchester. Despite all the problems this year we are still forecast to complete 500 units underpinned by a cocktail of public sector funding schemes. The vacancy rates for apartments in the area is 7% according to a study by Savills which defies some of the sensational national headlines about oversupply.

"In 2010, we will be working very closely with the [Manchester City] football club and are cautiously optimistic we will be making some very big announcements in early spring. We are also talking to Greater Manchester Police about moving a divisional headquarters to Central Park in addition to the headquarters already under construction. The BMX centre at Sportcity and wider velo-park will continue on site and The Sharp Project opens early in the new year."

Victoria Station: Dealing with Network Rail is every developer's nightmare at the best of times, let alone when money's tight for both private and public sectors. Preferred developer for the badly needed mixed-use redevelopment of the area around the station, Muse Developments, declined to comment on progress. At least in autumn 2009 the station had the dubious honour of being named worst station in the country by an independent train study commissioned by the Department for Transport. The station will now receive priority funding to improve facilities. No one was available at Network Rail to clarify the situation for the wider Muse project. The wait goes on.

First Street: John Hughes, director of Ask Developments: "Obviously the main thing this year was signing the 140,000 sq ft letting with Manchester City Council at One First Street, which instantly took the building to 75% let. The building's refurbishment is completed and the council has now started to fit out. We are very hopeful that as we start to populate the area and bring the public realm to life people will be attracted to First Street and see its potential.

"We are in advanced talks with a hotel operator and investor which would trigger another phase of development. It is a four-star operator with a good brand who wants around 150-rooms and we hope to announce the deal early in 2010.

"There are also ongoing talks with public sector bodies about funding the major public square behind One First Street and the 180 metre-long, 60-metre wide boulevard that will run from Whitworth Street through the whole development."