Marshall CDP will host a digital public consultation to launch emerging proposals for One City Road in Manchester city centre.

A virtual consultation will go live from Wednesday 12 August and will remain accessible for over two weeks until Monday 31 August.

Marshall CDP along with their project team is preparing to submit a planning application to Manchester City Council. Proposals include the redevelopment of an existing, 1980s office building to be replaced with two new office developments.
The plans outline two proposed buildings providing 370,000 sq. ft. of high-quality Grade A office space across 11 and 14 storeys. The proposed scheme has been designed within the guidance of Manchester City Council’s recently endorsed SRF for First Street.

The team involved in the project has significant experience and knowledge of the First Street masterplan. The scheme is designed by Jon Matthews Architects. Planit.ie is landscape architect and Deloitte is leading on planning consultancy.

Due to current restrictions put in place by the Government to safeguard against Covid-19 the consultation will take place across digital platforms.

Simon Marshall, managing director of Marshall CDP said: “Our proposed plans present an opportunity to deliver high quality office accommodation in a sustainable, thriving and eclectic neighbourhood.

“We have selected a project team that understands the wider First Street SRF and who has worked on the scheme previously. They understand the context of the One City Road site in relation to the wider scheme and our aim to create an attractive environment that complements the surrounding neighbours.

“We are presenting plans digitally and hope to gain some interesting insight and thoughts from the public. We welcome all suggestions and look forward to seeing the responses.”

There will be an opportunity to submit comments on the plans through the website until Monday 31 August, please visit: www.onecityroad.co.uk
The project team will be monitoring and responding to any queries.

Manchester’s only luxury aparthotel CitySuites has introduced new technology and digital-first services to bolster its revised Covid-19 social distancing procedures.

Developed by its digital agency partner Absurd, CitySuites has created a bespoke contactless check-in process that eradicates the need for guests to go through the typical registration process on arrival.

The solution, which has been designed to integrate with CitySuites’ existing PMS (property management software) booking system, enables guests to input all required information prior to arrival, simply verifying their identity on entry to the aparthotel.

The move is part of an ongoing programme to enhance both the physical and digital experience offered by the luxury five-star hospitality business, which is part of the Select Property Group based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

Oliver Bailey, co-founder of Absurd, says: “We’re working with CitySuites to continually evolve their digital capabilities and end-to-end service design. This latest launch will not only benefit the guest experience with a quicker check-in process but it minimises contact time, enabling customers and staff to stay safe, while complying with social distancing measures.

“Using our unique approach, to understand both the needs of guests and CitySuites’ teams, we’re able to identify the most relevant and value-add services to bring to market. Many service requirements for CitySuites differ from the more typical hotel needs, due to the specialist accommodation offered. This latest service was prioritised within the development schedule to allow CitySuites to quickly adapt to changes required due to Covid-19 compliance.

“We’ve designed and built the technology for CitySuites, rather than bolt on third party software, to enable the service to go beyond just accelerating online check-in. It will facilitate ongoing communication with guests and more personalised marketing.”

Express check-in is one of a number of new initiatives that CitySuites has put in place in response to both Covid-19 and ongoing innovation. Earlier this year Absurd designed a bespoke online process for longer term guest bookings and launched CitySuites’ Embankment Kitchen restaurant site.

CitySuites is located in Manchester City Centre and combines the comforts of home with the luxury touches of a hotel, providing an exceptional living experience that surpasses standard serviced apartment accommodation.

Socio-economic changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been accommodated by Bolton Council and its developer partners to ensure the delivery of the £1bn masterplan to transform the town centre by 2030, according to new analysis by Deloitte.

The investor prospectus commissioned by the council shows how its Vision 2030 programme will address economic and social change caused by the pandemic, allowing the town to fulfil its economic potential in the next decade and beyond.

The Deloitte prospectus examines how the council is working with its developer partners to respond to trends affecting its six landmark mixed-use schemes or ‘strategic intervention areas’ at Trinity Quarter, Church Wharf, Crompton Place/Bolton Victoria Square, Croal Valley, Cheadle Square and the new Blackhorse Street-Bolton Digital City.

Deloitte says Bolton’s town centre schemes “present an opportunity for remodelling the urban environment to better meet the demands and needs of a post-COVID society”.

The report says the mixed-use nature of the six schemes will contribute to Bolton’s economic recovery by providing the infrastructure required by people increasingly wanting to work, shop and play local post-COVID-19.

Bolton, says the report, may benefit as ‘going local’ presents future opportunities: “Town centres may become home to new spaces offering touchdown space for working collaboration, providing an alternative to both travelling to the regional centre and traditional office space.”

The diverse and flexible nature of the schemes that will deliver offices, co-working space, homes, retail and leisure over the next decade allows Bolton Council and its partner developers to accommodate widespread socio-economic change caused by COVID-19, such as:

• providing purpose-built large office floorspace to accommodate pandemic workspace guidance such as social distancing;

• including co-working space to reflect increasingly agile and flexible working trends;

• reducing retail floorspace and diversifying the high street offering;

• providing homes in close proximity to services, retail and workspace;

• improving public open space and increasing cycle routes and storage;

• meeting an increased need for digital opportunities by creating a ‘super-connected digital city’ including a digital hub ‘where businesses and people can thrive’;

• providing new and improved town centre attractions to attract people to an enhanced cultural offering.

By 2030, Bolton’s regeneration programme will have provided 1,700 homes and 4,411 full-time equivalent jobs; injecting £487.5m of gross value added (GVA) of additional economic activity. The council also forecasts an increase in the town centre population from less than 2,000 to more than 6,000 and an additional £48.7m of household spending, an annual boost of £7.3m to the visitor economy, helped by more green space and improved connectivity including four cycle schemes in the GM-wide Beeline network.

Bolton Council is also progressing multi-million pound bids to the Government’s Future High Street Fund and Towns Fund, contributing a potential £75m to regeneration projects across the borough.

The University of Bolton is less exposed than other universities to reductions in international student numbers due to COVID-19 and is well positioned to achieve its target of 20,000 students by attracting more students who want to study closer to home.

Simon Bedford, partner at Deloitte and head of the firm’s local government development team, said: “Bolton Council remains committed to delivering its plans for a redeveloped town centre and continues to engage with developers and investors to understand the implications of the pandemic on committed and emerging schemes within the six identified opportunity areas.

“Local retail centres will have a role in driving future economic recovery as consumers increasingly choose to buy local, supporting local businesses and supply chains post COVID-19.”

Councillor David Greenhalgh, leader, Bolton Council said: “The flexible and adaptable nature of our six mixed-use schemes, and the commitment of our developer partners, means we remain on course to deliver a transformed town centre by 2030.”