MIPIM VIDEO | State of construction in Manchester

A host of impactful regeneration schemes and increasing investor appetite in Wigan indicate it is a town on the up.

Alliance Investments spoke to Place North West at MIPIM about how investors can get the biggest bang for their buck when it comes to buying property.

Culture packs an economic punch – so how do we leverage that to create better communities? Place North’s MIPIM breakfast event brought together representatives from Manchester, Liverpool, and Belfast for a discussion about this important topic.

With around £185m to deploy, the public sector-owned development debt provider supports projects with strong regeneration and environmental focuses.

Three of the not-for-profit’s young ambassadors are attending the international property expo in Cannes, learning more about the industry, growing their network, and also making the case for diversity.

Wigan Council is laying the groundwork for development in the borough, putting down the infrastructure that will enable the delivery of a series of prime sites, according to director of place Aidan Thatcher and commercial developments service manager Hayley Fielden.

Civic Engineers chief executive Stephen O’Malley discussed at the global property conference how holistically exploring the interaction of different networks can help the cities of tomorrow to stand the test of time.

With the Building Safety Act fully coming into force next month, Project Four managing director Alan Robson spent his time in Cannes making sure the industry was up to speed on the newest regulations.

Citing a prolific pipeline of homes, offices, community spaces, and even a new interchange, Stockport Council’s Caroline Simpson and Paul Richards elaborated on why this year all eyes should be on the borough.

The local authority’s chief executive, Tom Stannard, sat down with Place North West to discuss what the next chapter of the city’s history will look like.

Barry Crichton, principal and managing director for Avison Young, told Place North West that transport connectivity, housing delivery, and net zero would continue to dominate the narrative between now and 2030.

PlaceTech hosted Yardi and a selection of their proptech clients and contacts including AWS, the Instant Group and Future Places, for a networking event at MIPIM in Cannes.

There are plenty of opportunities for businesses to benefit from the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport and place leadership, says Catherine Hadfield of Connected Places Catapult.

Andrew Russell, joint managing director for the developer of the new 1.5m sq ft industrial development, came to Cannes in partnership with Rochdale Development Agency to promote the scheme and the region.

An economic divide between North and South exists within the city region. What can be done to fix it?

Demolition should be a last resort; the focus must be on adapting existing building stock for generations to come, according to Tom Brigden and Lorna Crane of Purcell.

A focus on a compelling sustainable transport strategy that creates appealing public realm is at the heart of Rochdale’s station gateway project, said the Council’s Mark Robinson and Sandra Robinson of delivery partner WSP.

Conspiracy theories, infrastructure woes, and inclusivity concerns were all discussed during an engaging panel session at the Manchester Pavilion.

Muse’s Phil Mayall and the city council’s John Searle discussed their strategies for creating sustainable communities.