Green light for £350m new arena - and work could start within weeks
COUNCILLORS GIVE GO-AHEAD TO 23,500-CAPACITY VENUE – WITH 3,350 ROLES DURING BUILDING PHASE
WORK on a new indoor music and sports arena in east Manchester could begin in a matter of weeks, it has been revealed, after plans were given the green light.
Proposals for a ‘world-class’ 23,500-capacity venue next to the Etihad Stadium, which would become the biggest of its kind in the UK, were approved by the council’s planning committee yesterday.
And pending final confirmation from national planning authorities, the company behind the project say they hope to begin work as early as November, creating 3,350 jobs during the three-year construction phase, at least 1,000 of which would go to local people.
A further 1,000 jobs would be created once it opens, currently projected to be in 2023, the Oak View Group (OVG) said.
However, the operators of the existing Manchester Arena, recently renamed the AO Arena, said they believed the decision would have a ‘significantly adverse impact’ on both their venue and the city centre and had put their own expansion and redevelopment plans ‘in jeopardy’.
OVG last year began carrying out feasibility studies into a new venue on a 4.4 hectare piece of land bordered by the Ashton Canal, Alan Turing Way and Joe Mercer Way on the Bradford side of the Etihad Campus, which is currently used as overspill car parking.
They canvassed opinion of those living nearby and held over 50 community and public consultation events before plans were formally submitted just before lockdown in March. Reacting to the decision Tim Leiweke, OVG’s cofounder and chief executive, said: “We’re delighted that Manchester City Council has given our proposals the go-ahead, and we can’t wait to get started, bringing a £350million private investment, creating thousands of jobs, and delivering one of the world’s best arenas to this amazing city. I want to say a huge thank-you to the community for taking the time to listen to what we had to say and providing feedback that ensured this arena is of Manchester, for Manchester and by Manchester.”
The planning meeting, held via video conference, heard that the £350m injection was an ‘unprecedented private investment’ in the city and that it had not been affected by the Covid-19 crisis and the current suspension of live events.
Councillors representing the s u r ro u n d i n g areas said they believed it was a much-needed economic boost for the area.
Miles Platting and Newton Heath councillor John Flanagan said: “East Manchester is one of the most deprived parts of the city.
“We still have some of the highest levels of unemployment, early deaths and so on. This is a beacon of light to our area. A very big, tangible investment.”
ASM Global, who operate the Manchester Arena, had previously said they feared a rival venue could force them out of business and produced their own market analysis which they said demonstrated this. OVG submitted analysis which they said showed the city could sustain two arenas and the meeting was told independent analysis commissioned by the council concurred with this.
Concerns were raised about parking and potential clashes with City matches.
Council officers said OVG had agreed to fully fund a residents’ parking scheme and that they only anticipated around 15-20 clashes with football matches a year, adding special measures such as staggered finishing times would be put in place on those days.
Documents submitted ahead of the meeting revealed a request has been made to the secretary of state to ‘call in’ – essentially take over consideration of the application. The application and notice of the council’s decision will be now sent to the national planning policy unit and they will make a recommendation to the secretary of state as to whether it should be called in. This is normally reserved for applications of national significance.
An ASM spokesman said in a statement after the meeting ‘plans to redevelop and transform Manchester Arena – currently submitted for approval and supported by over 7,000 in Greater Manchester – are in jeopardy’.
They added: “We are considering our position, and will review all options to ensure the future of Manchester Arena, and our city centre economy, is secured, despite the pressures posed by the approval of this application.”