Vital Manchester City was today told that the City Council was on schedule with plans to develop the Sportcity site around Eastlands.
A spokesperson at the Council Press Office told me the Council was ‘working towards’ a development brief being discussed by the Council Executive in July. The source told me the Press Office will make an announcement ‘in the near future’ confirming the projected meeting.
Decisions at that meeting could schedule a massive new development of the Sportcity site around Eastlands, though the Planning Department confirmed today there are no new official Planning Applications yet being processed.
Vital Man City will attend the meeting and report back with a fans’ perspective on the proceedings.
This timing of the meeting is in line with comments by Chief Executive, Howard Bernstein. He told the Manchester Evening News last July that new jobs would ‘become available within 18 months to two years’ – but the Press Office today pointed out that changes in the economy had modified the requirements of the project and the Sportcity plans would fit with that new economic situation.
The decision on a Development Partner is a complex one due to the size of the project. The Council committed to prepare a development brief in partnership with the Sportcity Project Board in July 2008. This requires the appointment of a ‘Third Partner’ to deliver the project.
The Project Board includes Manchester City Football Club as well as English Sport and New East Manchester Ltd.
The Council defines Sportcity as: ‘the largest concentration of sporting facilities in Europe.’ and ‘a new heart for the communities of East Manchester.’
Sportcity is already the proud home of…
? City of Manchester Stadium
? Manchester Velodrome – The Home of British Cycling
? Manchester National Squash Centre
? Manchester Regional Arena
? Manchester Regional Tennis Centre
? Manchester Sport and Leisure Trust
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