Inside Man City WFC’s £10m HQ

The wheels are turning at the £1.5bn Manchester regeneration scheme. Construction of the city’s first speculative office in several years is continuing apace, updated plans for the next two buildings are in, and approval has been secured for the creation of a new area of public realm.

Contractor Stainforth is on site at the UrbanX development, which comprises units of 30,200 sq ft and 22,800 sq ft.

The Manchester law firm has signed renewed terms with Bruntwood SciTech, committing to 22,000 sq ft for the next 10 years.

Development funding of £15.5m from BG Lending will provide the capital required to progress construction at Central Point, the property group said.

Wain Estates’ Junction scheme has been stuck in the planning system since 2022 but Trafford Council is set to approve it next week despite concerns about the loss of 10,000 trees.

Stretford’s regeneration underscores a pivotal shift in how urban town centres are designed and delivered, guided by a people-first design approach that is actively reconnecting communities and reshaping how the town centre is experienced day to day, writes Cllr Liz Patel of Trafford Council.

Story Homes’ 1,300-home garden village and Logik’s 1.9m sq ft industrial proposals have both been rejected by unanimous verdicts at planning committee.

Marram Energy Storage Hub would provide long-term storage for wind energy that otherwise would have been wasted, as well as six days of supply for the country’s gas energy needs.

Sourced Developments’ proposed 310-apartment Scholars Court stalled in 2024 and progress on finding a buyer has been slow.

The Canadian-headquartered investor will use the phased funding to advance its pipeline of 6,000 build-to-rent apartments in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and London’s commuter belt.

Work on the 106-home Byron View is set to begin after the housebuilder finalised a land deal with Manchester City Council that has been three years in the making.

Davos Property Developments, owned by Home Bargains billionaire founder Tom Morris, has recieved approval for its first scheme outside of the city centre, a high-end apartment complex off Ibbotson Lane in Sefton Park.

Proposals for the further sharing of roles including chief executive between Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire’s local authorities will go before full council meetings this month.

Construction is to begin at the developer’s £26m Trade City project, where Cervidae has been brought in as joint venture partner.

Aimed at facilitating a new route between Liverpool and Manchester, the modified High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill would allow for the development of new stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport.

The Formby-headquartered insurance group acquired the 80,000 sq ft building in Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock in January 2025 – now, plans to make it a flagship workspace are in motion.

The online electricals retailer has agreed terms with ESR Europe for a 325,000 sq ft unit offering access to M6.

With manifesto promises to build at least 20,000 social homes by 2030 and to reform the planning system, here’s what the industry needs to know about the party’s agenda and how it will impact projects in Flintshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Anglesey, and Gwynedd.

Contractor Willmott Dixon has applied for permission to construct a 106,000 sq ft education building to serve the affluent Stockport suburb that will replace the Seal Road school’s current sprawling, RAAC-riddled estate.