Commentary
IRA bomb did not define Manchester’s future
The 30th anniversary on Monday will again attract misplaced credit to the bomb for changing the fate of Manchester and being responsible for a large rebuilding programme. Here are five things that were more important in the making of modern Manchester, and all came before 1996, Paul Unger writes.
In 20 years of covering the region’s property industry for Place North West, this oft-repeated claim about the rise of Manchester as an economic force starting with the 1996 bomb has always frustrated me. It’s a myth, frankly, and one normally put forward by visitors and onlookers outside the city.
The terrorist attack devastated dozens of small business owners’ livelihoods and shocked the country. In physical terms it affected a relatively small part of the city centre at the Corn Exchange, M&S and the Arndale. It brought Michael Heseltine back to the city and enabled Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and the posh shops on New Cathedral Street, rejuvenated the area around the cathedral. But change was already sweeping across the wider city and would have continued with or without this explosive catalyst in one corner.
Here are five things that were more important in the making of modern Manchester, and all came before 1996.
1981
The Salford and Trafford Enterprise Zone is established at the disused docks around the Manchester Ship Canal basin. The regime, offered by the new Conservative government to deprived areas up and down the country, includes tax incentives for property development and relaxed planning controls. All part of regionalist environment secretary Heseltine’s attempts to counter the early-1980s recession.
Salford City Council took up the baton and bought land to pump-prime construction of speculative offices, which were eventually filled. The Lowry arts centre and shopping centre made it a destination.
Trafford Park Development Corporation came along in 1987 and to help replace the huge job losses as businesses closed. Over 10 years of TPDC, 50,000 jobs were created in Trafford Park.
Two of the city region’s main engines for job creation – the factor that underpins everything else that followed – had started firing.
1982
The Hacienda opens, giving “the kiss of life to a dying city”, as Andy Spinoza puts it in his book Manchester Unspun. Can a dodgy nightclub really be a regeneration pillar? Spinoza elegantly argues the case that the Hacienda was the spark that ignited the city’s cultural renaissance and was at the heart of the reputational change that made Manchester cool and investible.
Tony Wilson and his underground venue re-energised the hollowed-out core as industries were collapsing and kept the city centre alive when out-of-town planning was a serious threat. Music and fashion trends spawned here turned heads elsewhere and created an aura that gave city leaders a new story to tell.
1984
Cllr Graham Stringer becomes leader of Manchester City Council
Not opposing but working with Thatcher’s Conservatives was the masterstroke that set the tone for cross-party pragmatism that has lasted decades. How else could we imagine Tory Chancellor George Osborne buddying up repeatedly with Sir Howard Bernstein and launching Northern Powerhouse in Manchester?
In the mid-1980s, while the Militant tendency raged in Liverpool and Lambeth, Stringer told Thatcher ‘we won’t oppose your budgets, but we want something in return’. The message was warmly received by Whitehall and a regeneration partnership followed between central urban policymakers and local business-friendly Labour. Stringer met his own measure of success by seeing construction cranes on the skyline before he stepped down as leader in 1996 to become an MP the following year.
Bernstein cut his teeth under Stringer and Richard Leese took up the baton as Stringer’s successor, building on a path that had already been laid.
1986
Barcelona wins the competition to host the 1992 Olympics.
If I had to pick the single biggest factor that led to the modern Manchester that impresses today it would be the Barcelona Olympics and Manchester’s own failed bids.
In the early Nineties it felt like everyone in UK regeneration was trying to emulate what Barcelona was doing. The template for taking a grotty post-industrial city by the scruff of the neck and turning it into a cool destination with a mix of old and new buildings that locals were proud of and other cities envy was irresistible.
More than the chance to host the games, the significance of Manchester’s bids in 1990 (won by Atlanta for the 1996 edition) and 1993 (Sydney 2000) was the galvanising effect of bringing business leaders and council officials together to work in a way they hadn’t before. Corralled by theatre director Bob Scott, this common-interest group created the powerful support ethic and instinct for backing the next big thing that endures today. Manchester’s remarkable marketing machine was being forged.
Diana, Princess of Wales, with airport dignitaries in 1989. Credit: Manchester Airport
1989
Diana, Princess of Wales opens Terminal A at Manchester Airport. Just one of many milestones achieved during the 1980s as the airport expands rapidly into an international hub. The dedicated train station follows in 1993, along with Terminal 2. Terminal A later becomes part of Terminal 3. The moment when the airport handles one million passengers a month has already been passed in 1987.
Sometimes it feels like the airport is taken for granted. It’s just there. Complained about for its security queues (which have improved as part of the £1bn transformation) more than celebrated for its scale and global connections. A decent airport is as important to a successful economy as a big hospital or a leading university. The airport need not have been that way without the combined ambition of the 10 boroughs and the leadership of Sir Gil Thompson, the boss throughout the 1980s who was fiercely set on breaking London’s dominance in UK air travel.
Not only, but also
All this is not to mention the existence of John Whittaker and Peel during this time and aggressive dealmaking that saw the pivotal takeover of Manchester Ship Canal Company in 1993, opening up huge parcels of development land, most famously for the Trafford Centre. Not to mention the formation of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities in 1986, precursor to devolution, metro mayors, Andy Burnham, the combined authority and all we understand today about city politics. And not to mention the Metrolink tram opening to passengers in 1992.
The momentum for reinventing the city was clearly already being felt. As devastating as that Saturday in 1996 was, Manchester was on its way.
Paul Unger is the founder and publisher of Place Media Group, with more than 25 years of experience reporting on business and the built environment in the North West.
It certainly gave it a massive push. Not a myth but a truth. We’d be plodding along at the same pace as Birmingham had it not happened. Peel have done nothing for this city in 30 years.
By Andrew
We lost the corn exchange,.the royal exchange, voyagers, King Street never recovered after the mid market chains moved in during redevelopment.
By Anonymous
So proud to live in this city. Still lots to be done to improve it but it has a buzz about it that is hard to come by anywhere else in England at the moment
By Bob
Manchester was the UK capital of regeneration before the bomb. I remember it well.
By Anonymous
Interesting inclusion of Peel and John Whittaker here. It certainly can’t be argued with that The Trafford Centre was transformational for Manchester but the younger Whittaker generations have struggled to maintain the same legacy and as Andrew states, have seemingly fallen short since John took a back seat.
By anon
Yes, good point- the airport was critical not only for income – 2000-2020, £474m to Manchester and c.£45m each for other GM councils, but the cash soothed political divides between council and oiled the wheels on the journey towards devolution. The municipal socialists learned how to make good profits for the public purse – ‘good growth’ – and became dab hands at running a big complicated business.
By Andy Spinoza
The bomb was definitely pivotal to the regeneration no doubt about it! The funding after that! As for Peel helping shape Manchester with the Trafford centre I would disagree. The Trafford centre did not help Altrincham or Urmston or Stretford or Sale…the death of the high Street! But agree that the so called “younger” or next generation at Peel do not have the aggression, vision or appetite as John.
By Bob Dawson
Good article and a drum I often bang myself to anyone who will listen… could also mention Europe’s largest indoor arena having just opened (closely tied to the Olympic bids I believe) and the Bridgewater Hall under construction… really taking the cultural momentum started with the likes of the Hacienda and ‘Madchester’ putting that front and centre.
Expansion of Manchester Poly rebranding and expanding as MMU in 1992 (Salford did similar a few years later) bringing yet more fresh students into the city especially in areas that might otherwise have stayed a bit unpopular.
Man United dominating the first few years of the newly launched premier league probably helped as well!
Talking of the bomb though, Paul do I recall reading somewhere you’re dad was the MEN Editor and one of the few to actually witness the immediate aftermath?
By True Faith
They all took a knock at first but Urmston, Sale and Altrincham town centres now pretty lively (and they’re trying their best in Stretford)! I recall the TC in early days wanted a slice of everything including restaurants, late night entertainment and day-to day retail but those markets have been won back by the town centres and TC has focused more on high end shopping or experiential events like the ski slope
By @ Bob Dawson
Enjoying the comments. Yes, True Faith, that’s right, he and others were running in as most people were rightly running away from the scene that day.
I agree the Trafford Centre point is perhaps a stretch but trying to make the case that there were plenty of people doing impressive things back then. And mentions of Bridgewater Hall and surrounding area are absolutely spot on.
By Paul Unger
I find the Peel backlash in the comments very blinkered and outdated. When you look into what a private company has done in terms of direct investment, delivery and regeneration for the region they’re pretty remarkable.
Remember, it was Peel who negotiated and attracted the BBC to come to MediaCity, a place that didn’t even exist before Peel, and then the deals that followed with ITV, Salford University etc and is now GM’s best example of transformational regeneration.
It was Peel that funded, built and delivered the Trafford Centre and have had the vision for TraffordCity, the impact that has had on GM’s tourism and retail economy is amazing. They have transformed an area that literally had the word “Dump” in its name to somewhere I really enjoy going, whether I’m working out at David Lloyd or going shopping.
As for the comments on the “younger” Whittakers you just have to look examples like the £500mil Therme development which is currently being built, Embassy Village – The UK’s first purpose built village for the homeless which has been built and occupied, Trafford Waters, RHS Garden Bridgewater and over a £1mil raised and donated to Manchester Children’s Hospital – it’s just unfounded. To criticise them for not being as “aggressive” is unfair when in the same sentences they criticise their father for being that – these people who like to critic can’t decide what they want.
So many areas look to what Peel have done for area and wish that was happening in their region, yet they are never willing to acknowledge and praise when something good has happened. To take it back to primary school, if you don’t have something nice or constructive to say, why even say it.
By Anonymous
Was the 1996 bomb the start of Manchester’s renaissance? It certainly helped. Alongside factors like the Trafford Centre, the music scene, Terminal 2, and wider regeneration projects, it created a powerful momentum that shaped the Manchester we see today.
By Steve5839
Unfortunately the city has been going backwards all this time. As the city centre was being redeveloped the suburbs were and still are in decline, from Cheetham Hill to Didsbury, all much worse than they used to be, and my birthplace Fallowfield, very dangerous and dirty now, I wouldn’t have my kids there.
By Anonymous
Picked up by True Faith 3:37 but needs emphasising more – the growth and world class success of the 3 universities, the rocketing number of students and impact on economy, nightlife & bespoke new build rank along with the airport and the Mediterranean (when the sun shines) Quays waterfront
By Martin
June 15, 2026 at 10:33 pm By Anonymous, I cannot disagree with you, but this is a direct reflection of the policies adopted over the last 25 years by all governments regardless of colour and ideology.
By Steve5839
I think the article is misleading, yes Manchester was already beginning to develop and regenerate but that was absolutely turbo charged by the bomb. It levered in significant additional funding and opened up positive regeneration of a number of areas of the city which would not have been possible or would not have happened anywhere near as quickly without it happening.
By Anonymous
A great overview of recent Manchester history. Personalities do matter and key names mentioned include Bob Scott and Howard Bernstein. What a model to follow for other British cities. Growth is mentioned in every other sentence by politicians these days, well it’s happening in Manchester and the potential for growth is there across our provincial cities.
By Nick
Whilst Peel has done very good business over the years, they have not “invested” in projects for the fun of it, the good of the people, or to benefit Manchester, they have done it knowing that they will have huge returns, often at a cost to others, including the public and plenty of small businesses. Whilst the scale of their developments is impressive, I cannot give them credit in this article for making Manchester what it is today. Indeed, I would suggest that the TC has been detrimental in the overall evolution of Manchester and at an immeasurable cost to some.
By Anon