We believe that there is a strong investment case for the City of Manchester.
Three factors underpin the investment case for the area:
• Manchester is the second biggest economy in the UK after London and is seen as a Northern Powerhouse. The city has seen significant investment from both the private and public sector which is expected to have a positive impact on both house prices and rents.
• Manchester is served by a large transport infrastructure including the biggest airport in the UK outside London and a network of motorways such as A57, M62 and M602.
• Manchester benefits from a vibrant arts and culture scene, a number of large multi-national businesses and 3 universities including the world renowned University of Manchester.
Manchester is considered one of the main cities in the North West of England and is the second largest economy outside London. It is based in the second most populous urban area in the UK, with 2.55m people living within Greater Manchester.
Manchester has seen significant rejuvenation since hosting the XVII Commonwealth games in the 1990s, continuing to this day via government and private investment recognising the city as the Northern Powerhouse. Between January 2013 and January 2016 Manchester House Price Index has grown 26.75% (8.22% year-on-year). However, the house prices in Manchester are still below their peak of 2008.
Recently, large multi-national businesses such as Google, Siemens, the BBC and the Royal Bank of Scotland have all relocated thousands of jobs to Manchester, and companies such as Kellogg’s, The Co-operative Group, Brother, Britannia Hotels, and Adidas have their national or international head offices in Manchester or Greater Manchester.
Manchester’s city centre has undergone extensive regeneration and new or renovated complexes such as The Printworks and The Triangle have become popular shopping and entertainment destinations. The Manchester Arndale Centre is the UK’s largest city-centre shopping centre. The surrounding area is home to many “high end” boutique retail outlets and first-class restaurants and entertainment facilities.
Manchester’s growing reputation as the UK’s capital of youth and youth culture has been given a further boost with the announcement that it has been shortlisted to become European Youth Capital 2018. It is underpinned by statistics that show more than 40 per cent of Manchester’s resident population is aged 25 or under. This further adds to the city’s long-term economic attractiveness.
Manchester is served by Manchester Airport, which lies circa 5 miles west of the city centre. The international airport is the third busiest in the United Kingdom and the largest outside the London region. Airline services exist to many destinations in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Furthermore, there is easy road access to the North-West’s comprehensive Motorway network via the A57 and M602. Moreover, the government has just announced the green light to High Speed 3 between Leeds and Manchester, aiming to bring down journey times from 50 minutes to around 30 minutes and investing an extra £161 million to accelerate the transformation of the M62 further empowering local economy.
Whether you are interested in music and the performing arts, sport and leisure, or tourism and heritage, Greater Manchester has something on offer for everybody.
World-class architecture and international attractions make Manchester one of the most visited cities in the UK. Already home to a vibrant network of museums, art galleries, music venues, theatres and the Manchester International Festival, Manchester is set to unveil a £110m arts centre in 2019, called The Factory. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs over the next decade and contribute £140m to the local economy.
The city houses 3 universities – Manchester Metropolitan, Salford University and the world-renowned University of Manchester. Having more than 105,000 students gives the city a cosmopolitan and vibrant edge.
For sports fans, Manchester is home to the some of the biggest football clubs in the world – Manchester United with their Old Trafford stadium in the South-West of Manchester and Manchester City with their home ground at Etihad Stadium in the East of Manchester. These two attractions alone attract thousands of football fans every year and provide a great boost to the local economy.