GMCA to support creation of 280,000 sq ft of SME workspace
Grant funding to the tune of £15m will go towards the development of office schemes in each of the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs.
The combined authority will meet next week to approve that a £15m chunk of the city region’s £83m share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will support the creation of 280,000 sq ft of SME workspace.
All of the schemes will see existing buildings repurposed. For example, Tameside is seeking £1.2m from the fund to refurbish Ashton Old Baths, while former retail space at Merseyway in Stockport is also in line for a refresh, with the council requesting £1.4m
The schemes to benefit are:
- Bolton – Wellsprings Digital Innovation Hub – £1.7m
- Stockport – Merseyway Digital Innovation Centre – £1.2m
- Oldham – Prudential Building £1.4m
- Salford – Innovate to Scale Programme £1.4m
- Rochdale – Fire-Up Co-Working Space £918,000
- Wigan – Wigan Innovation Hub £3.2m
- Manchester – Manchester Enterprise Hub £1.8m
- Tameside – Ashton Old Baths £1.2m
- Bury – Radcliffe Works £1.2m
- Trafford – Former Debenhams store £470,000
Businesses that will be targeted are predominantly in the IT and digital spheres “with associated good quality jobs”, according to a GMCA report.
The combined authority estimates the schemes could result in the creation of more than 800 jobs and 151 new businesses.
More needs to be done to encourage people in the regions to stay and work closer to home, there’s no point in making people sit in traffic coming into Manchester every day and wasting money on trains
By DH
As the Rochdale Fire-Up scheme is already operational, I assume this is an addition to the current scheme, presumably in the old Fire Station Garages or properties on Richard Street.
By Local Interest