Public consultation launches for new £1.7bn innovation district ID Manchester

The ID Manchester partnership will be popping up in the city centre over the summer and holding a community event at Brunswick Parish Church on Wednesday 6 September. More information on the project and consultation activities can be found on the ID Manchester website, along with an online questionnaire to submit feedback.

The newly published draft SRF sets out the scale, ambition and opportunities that ID Manchester brings to the city and includes a series of place-based principles that will guide detailed plans for development and future planning applications, and ensure the vision for ID Manchester to be recognised as one of the world’s leading applied innovation districts is realised.

Illustrative images of what the district could look like are shared in the SRF, including a new civic square, a revitalised Vimto Park and the repurposing of key heritage assets such as the Sackville Street and Renold buildings.

The SRF also details ID Manchester’s aim to build a diverse and inclusive community of innovators, and transform what was a purpose-built academic campus into a welcoming and accessible new area of the city. Through creative repurposing of existing buildings and spaces, such as the Pariser and Renold buildings, a ​“meanwhile” use strategy has been implemented to bring early activation to the site ahead of redevelopment, with a mix of commercial office, lab and makerspace premises, pop-up retail and leisure spaces, events and programmed activities focused on science, technology, arts, culture and innovation. Read more