• Professional team appointed for Phase One development sites. Detailed concept development underway for first two sites in Ancoats and New Islington, prioritised to complement existing community facilities and transport investment.

• Local community engagement event held on 5 March to share initial plans to sympathetically develop Murrays’ Mill, one of the oldest surviving steam powered cotton mills, into high quality residential accommodation.

Manchester Life Development Company, the joint venture between Manchester City Council and the Abu Dhabi United Group entrusted to drive forward the development of Ancoats and New Islington, has appointed a world leading professional team for Phase One and held its first community event.

Phase One of Manchester Life, announced in June 2014, will provide more than 900 new homes through the development of six sites in Ancoats and New Islington, and builds on the regeneration activity that has been led by Manchester City Council in collaboration with a range of partners over the last 15 years.

The first two sites within Phase One – New Union Street, next to the Rochdale Canal, and Murrays’ Mill in Ancoats – are now in detailed design, with planning applications due to be brought forward from spring 2015 onwards.

Marty Edelman, Executive Chairman of Manchester Life Development Company, commented:

“We are really excited with the progress we have made with concepts for Murrays’ Mills and the New Union Street site. We have focused on preserving the heritage of one of Manchester’s most important historical buildings, and setting a new benchmark for residential accommodation in what will become one of the city’s most vibrant and well located neighbourhoods.

“What we are creating really builds on the fantastic regeneration work already undertaken in the area, so it’s a priority for us to ensure we develop our sites in ways that are complementary to the local community.

Yesterday’s event was a great success and we took on board really useful feedback that will help inform our planning submissions.”

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said:

“Manchester Life is another chapter in East Manchester’s regeneration story which began in the 1990s and was accelerated by the Commonwealth Games and Abu Dhabi United Group’s investment in the Eithad campus.

“These will be quality homes which will help transform the eastern edge of the city centre and make a major contribution to Manchester’s continuing growth. I’m pleased that this strategically significant project is making such strong progress.”

The Phase One professional team includes:

• Arup – multi-discipline engineer
• Deloitte Real Estate – planning consultants
• Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios – Murrays’ Mills architect (new office under establishment to support Manchester Life and other local business)
• KM Heritage – heritage consultants
• KPMG – advisory services
• MAC Consulting – H&S Advisor and Cost Manager
• Mace – project management
• Pierre Angulaire – program management
• RTKL – architect for New Union Street
• Squire Patton Boggs – corporate, property and planning legal advice
• Walker Morris – legal advice on land acquisition