Manchester eyes up 2025 World Expo
Greater Manchester Combined Authority is calling on the Government to allow it to put forward a bid for Tameside to host the World Expo in 2025, at a cost of more than £1bn.
Potential host countries have until 31 October to put themselves forward. Following the referendum vote to leave the EU, GMCA said that hosting the expo would demonstrate that the UK is open for business, and that a Northern venue would create an opportunity the rebalance the nation’s economy.
The World Expo lasts for six months and takes place every five years, and according to the GMCA is larger in size, scale and duration than any other global sporting and cultural event, including the Olympics and football World Cup.
GMCA claims that hosting the expo would offer UK trade and investment a boost comparable to the 2012 London Olympics, attracting up to 28 million visitors as well as exhibitors and would-be investors from around the world.
While the cost of hosting the event would reach in excess of £1bn, GMCA stressed that previous World Expos have broken even through gate receipts, and the delivery could also be funded through “significant private sector contribution”.
A 250-acre site at Ashton Moss, owned by Muse Developments, has been identified by the combined authority as an appropriate location for an Expo City, which would host the event and then deliver a legacy of jobs, housing and investment.
Sir Richard Leese, GMCA lead member for economic strategy, said: “The concept underlying the Northern Powerhouse, enabling the North to realise its potential and support the nation as a whole, is as much our strategy as the Government’s and it’s important that they continue to show commitment to it. It has become an important identity internationally, crucial to our long term trade, growth and investment and World Expo 2025 could help the UK to build on this momentum.”
Jake Berry, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, said: “This bid has already been seen by Treasury who recognise its value but were not at the time of the last budget in a position to back it. If our new Prime Minister Theresa May is serious about continuing with the Northern Powerhouse it’s big ideas like 2025 Expo that the Government has to give its support to. This is a once in a generation opportunity to rebalance our economy and promote the Northern Powerhouse as a global brand. The Government saw fit to spend £9bn on bringing the Olympics to London. This seems to be a better investment.”
This is the kind of thing that Pomona could have been used for.
Good for Ashton though.
By Name
Incredible for Manchester wherever it may be.
By Name
Ahahahahahahahaahahahaah!
Could you imagine.
By zebith
I’ll expect there will be a great deal of competition for this..especially as it was first mooted for Liverpool, wonder where that leaves the new “Love” between them could be a real test.
By Man on bicycle
I thought that Liverpool was to put forward to host this….the sly fox
By Jan
Ashton under Lyne…. really ??? That is a bit like inviting some of your friends round to a family gathering when you know your weird uncle is attending…. very brave
By Developer
Remind me again why this has to be in a newly-developed area (other than Muse have some land they don’t know what to do with).
There’s already not enough culture in Manchester city centre, would make loads more sense there.
By zebith
Some very bitter scousers on here. Embarrassing.
By J Rainer
My point J.Rainer is not “bitter” at all. I just think that the whole concept or idea of our two great cities(apologies to all the other ones) working together or having trust on projects will not work, perhaps it would be better in the middle, say Warrington as an example.
Maybe things will change when we, will have Metro mayors, but can’t see certain leaders allowing that..
By Man on bicycle
Bitter over Tameside?
I’d be saying the same if it were proposed in Knowsley, a district somewhat akin to Tameside.
Daft.
By zebith
So “working together” means Manchester not being proactive and giving everything to Liverpool or waiting for Liverpool to get its act together does it?
What exactly is preventing Liverpool from bidding itself? Nothing – so stop whinging.
By High pitched
Same old story, why can’t you people be more positive ?
By phildered
It is Jealousy
By AP
You have to grant it to the powers that be in Greater Manchester..They are BRAVE and out there !!! Nothing wrong with Tameside, as is joined to the city authority area; part of the GM conurbation….
By Schwyz
I agree with Man on a Bicycle,but not Warrington.That town does not need a boost.How about St Helens? Or somewhere on the East Lancs?Leigh perhaps? Slap bang in the middle of the two cities.
By Elephant
It would have been nice if GMCA and TMBC had discust this proposal with residents of Ashton Moss and Littlemoss ( Lumb Lane and Back Lane that will loose there homes) before going public with this. As one of those residents I feel so disappointed with TMBC. This is not a old industrial sites but 250 acres of Green belt undeveloped land.
By Andy
Zebith, would the exaggerated laugh response have been submitted if the story was that Birmingham was bidding for this? Hmmmm, very much doubt it. Suspect, your response would’ve been a need for everyone to up its game around here etc etc.
And I find it strange that nobody seemed to mention that Stratford, an utter dump of industrial land in the east end of London, was a wrong place to host the Olympics but somehow an equivalent, actually nicer, better and more well connected area of Gtr Manchester is a somehow laughable place to bid for this? Forever parochial, forever the downfall.
By Loganberry
Oh what a surprise! More Manchester v Liverpool dummy spitting…
By Cheshire Boy
Birmingham? Nope.
Manchester? Nope.
Tameside? Yes.
And Knowsley for that matter.
I’d be a bit surprised if Place North West had reported on a development in Birmingham though.
Stop comparing London and the north-west. Manchester has a lot of central undeveloped sites and its cultural offering is patchy: the same cannot be said of Central London. My point is that Central Manchester still needs a huge amount of attention itself.
By zebith
Zebith is right about Central Manchester needing more. They could start with that hellhole down Stockport road.There is a lot of desolation in East Manchester still.There has to be some movement economically to the North of the city though.The airport and South Manchester have had loads of investment.Ashton is as good a place as any.
By Elephant
It was recommended that Liverpool bit for this 5 years ago. The city administration thought otherwise and settled for the relatively irrelevant IFB. So we can hardly complain when our neighbours actually do something about it. Another chance gone begging
By timelord
I suppose the difference is that IFB has actually happened.
By zebith
I have a feeling the West Midlands will get this.Theresa May seems to spend a lot of time in Birmingham.
By Elephant
Expo in Manchester? please no , we don’t want to scare investers from the Uk we need to attract, Liverpool more suitable or Birmingham …btw am from the Capital London.
By Jan
By the way a great IBF again in Liverpool , you did the UK proud !! wonderful city nad people.
By Jan
Her brother, Alan, (Alan Bickerstaffe), lives in the Midlands. That’s why she’s always there.
By Mizzer
Hi Jan, I’m from New York and couldn’t think of a better place than Manchester for this event. I’m in the city regularly for business and it’s always struck me as a very vibrant and distinctive place with a fascinating history, much more so than Liverpool. Manchester is the ideal place for a global event like this,
By April
There you go Jan. Someone from the greatest city on Earth likes Manchester. Think we will take April’s views over someone from a few third rate Middlesex and Surrey villages, which is famous for money laundering.
By Elephant
Well I’m from Chicago and my vote goes to Liverpool – the British city that had such a big influence on both New York and Chicago through architects like Peter Ellis (Oriel Chambers 1862).
By Don
Well I’m from San Francisco and I like Preston.
By zebith
I’m from Detroit USA and my vote is for Liverpool
By Norman
I’m from Washington and I have close family in New York, Boston and Chicago. None of us know much of Liverpool – was it where the Beatles came from? It’s just like the UK’s so-called ‘special relationship’ – only one, slightly needy and deluded party has ever heard of it.
By June
As if any Americans read Place NW.
By zebith
Bradford gets my vote.
By Spartacus
I live in Damascus and never miss an edition of PNW. Oh and I wouldn’t live in Manchester.
By Hassan
Cunard looking to reinstate Liverpool – New York passenger services… many Americans on the cruise ships pulling up at the Pier Head and growing numbers every year!
By Alfie
It should definitely be in Manchester!
By Liverpool Resident
I currently live on comet 67P which is grey, inhospitable and rather isolated, which reminds me of Liverpool quite a lot. I too am an avid PNW reader as it helps stave off the homesickness – keep up the good work!
By Philae
Just came from Uk to look st property stayed in Manchester for 2 days it was the most hideous uncultured place I have ever encountered in my life , then my friend from Miami told me to visit Liverpool ,sorry guys much better and prettier location and a lot more pleasing to the eye ,by the way those who claim they are from the US on these comments are lying your citizens of drabby Manchester .
By Karrie
Btw us Americans where taught history in high school ? And we where taught about the British Empire and no mention of Manchester was in that lesson ? Any one been to New York Ellis Island ? Or seen the tall ships still docked with Wavertree Liverpool on them , New York was inspired by the Great city of Liverpool architecturally,even Central Park was copied from a park in Birkendead and we all know in America that Liverpool was the gateway into the new world from Europe for Europeans , where is the hell is Manchester don’t insult me.
By Karrie
The comments on many of these articles are embarrassing. Have the people who comment on MEN facebook articles found the site or something? Or is it just the armchair keyboard warriors from skyscrapercity.com? Please take your idiotic comments back there and leave this site to professionals and genuinely interested readers.
By Planner
I have to agree with you Planner – sadly this site is a combination of internet trolls and overly-sensitive parochially-minded individuals. Never a good combination.
By nmnt
Nmnt.Get off your high horse.What is wrong with a bit of Manc/Scouse banter.These two cities keep each other on their toes.That level of competition is sadly lacking in most of this country.Who the hells proud of coming from Leeds?
By Elephant
Karrie: spot on. Which part/s of Manchester did you have the displeasure to visit?
Elephant: don’t bring the Brothers Gibb into this, dude. Not cool.
By zebith
I have a lot of free time to indulge in this sort of thing btw. I’m going for the coveted ‘most comments on place north west award’.
By Elephant
Doppelganger Elephant strikes again.Where is Giraffe these days?
By Elephant
This thread’s done…..let’s move on….
By Mizzer