Autumn Statement 2014: Manchester is to see a £235m investment in a new research facility for advanced materials research, as well as a £78m funding package for a new theatre in Allied London’s St John’s Quarter.
The research facility – known as the Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Research – will have satellite centres in Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College.
As revealed by Estates Gazette last week, the city council and developer Bruntwood are in advanced negotiations to build the facility on the site of the former BBC North HQ on Oxford Road.
St. John’s, the site of the former ITV Granada Studios, will see a £78m government investment to create the Factory – a 2,200 theatre that will serve as flexible art space.
Newcastle will also receive a £20m innovation hub, while Warrington will see a £113m Cognitive Computing Research Centre.
The developer’s masterplan for St John’s, which is currently awaiting council planning approval, covers up to 600,000 sq ft of offices, 3,000 homes, 400,000 sq ft of leisure space and two hotels.
It bought the site in partnership with Manchester city council in September for £26.5m.
Allied London chief executive Michael Ingall said: “The Factory Manchester will play a powerful part in the creation of St John’s. There will be several important complementary parts to this new neighbourhood and all these parts will come together to create a purpose and a soul, with culture, art and performance mixed with enterprise to create a very exciting place to be, as well as live and work.”
