MIPIM UK | Councils target Cannes convention to meet development deadlines

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Place North West partner

Both Liverpool City Council and Oldham Council are using March’s international MIPIM conference in Cannes to focus efforts around key projects, with Liverpool aiming to have a development partner in place for its £700m Festival Park, while Oldham is forming the tender notice for its £1bn town centre regeneration.

The large-scale projects are both running behind previously, and perhaps over-optimistically announced council deadlines; Liverpool had said it was hoping to have an investor in place by the end of 2017.

However, a call for expressions of interest in Festival Park is now expected to be issued via the Homes & Communities Agency’s DPP3 framework in the next four weeks, with the partner secured in time for Cannes.

Contractors and housebuilders on the framework include Galliford Try, Interserve, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Wates, and Willmott Partnership Homes.

The masterplan for the 90-acre former Festival Gardens site was approved by Liverpool’s cabinet in June, aiming to create “a spectacular £700m riverside suburb”.

Designed by K2 Architects, the redevelopment could deliver up to 2,500 new homes, 500,000 sq ft of commercial and leisure floorspace, a new ferry terminal and a major waterpark attraction.

Meanwhile, Oldham Council is also used the Cannes convention as a deadline for publishing the tender notice for its £1bn town centre masterplan, which had previously been expected this autumn.

The 21-acre site is largely in council ownership, and Oldham is hoping for one partner for the entire project. The development delivery period will be ten to 15 years with an anticipated start on site in spring 2019.

The scheme would be built out with most high value phases first, to fund later stages of the project.

The sites included in the plan are Tommyfield Market, which would be built out first, the Civic Centre, Oldham Police Station, the former Oldham Sports Centre and Oldham Magistrates Court, and the current Oldham Coliseum Theatre.

Muse has been linked as a potential bidder for the scheme, but with activity already underway in Macclesfield, Stockport, Blackpool, Salford, Chester, and a shortlist position on Wirral’s £1bn regeneration, the Manchester-based developer is seriously in demand.

Oldham Town Centre Masterplan Aerial

Oldham’s masterplan was revealed during the summer

  • MIPIM UK coverage is brought to you in association with Willmott Dixon. Place North West can be found on stand H34

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I wouldn’t let Oldham Council anywhere near Tommyfield. They turned the best market in the country into the dump it is today,with their meddling. When I was a child it took all day to walk around it,now it is just a few stalls attached to a car park. They had an asset there,as good as Bury and they drove the stallholders away. In fact I wouldn’t let Oldham council near anything. They also decimated Alexandra Park,by felling the stunning avenue of trees. Too many of these councillors are too busy swanning around the white rose society in Saddleworth and have no real interest in proper Oldham.

By Elephant

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