The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has set out plans to form a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) for the Old Trafford area of Manchester, in an effort to propel a major regeneration scheme of which Manchester United’s stadium plans will form a key part.
The GMCA has set out an ambitious 10-year plan to “turbocharge growth” and deliver tens of thousands of new jobs and homes for its residents through pioneering a new way of delivering large-scale development and transformative regeneration.
Proposals would see the whole Greater Manchester system mobilised to deliver £1bn (€1.18bn/$1.24bn) of investment every year for the next decade and build homes on a scale and at a pace not seen in the past 20 years.
At the heart of the plan is the creation of a single pipeline for growth, which would target investment at six Growth Locations across Greater Manchester. The area around United’s stadium in Old Trafford has been listed as a focal point of the Western Gateway Growth Location, with plans to create new housing, commercial and public space around a new 100,000-seat stadium, or a refurbished 87,000-capacity ground.
The Old Trafford Regeneration Scheme is said to represent the biggest sports-led regeneration scheme in the UK since the London 2012 Olympic Games. To drive forward this major regeneration project, Greater Manchester is setting out proposals for a new MDC for Old Trafford.
This is designed to replicate the success seen in Stockport, located south of Manchester itself, where the MDC took on powers to acquire and develop land and bring forward new infrastructure. Stockport MDC has so far attracted £600m in private investment and delivered 1,200 new homes, 170,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, and a new transport interchange.
The GMCA’s masterplan comes after the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force last week announced that it had completed its initial feasibility work to explore options for a new or redeveloped Old Trafford, as United moves closer to deciding on the future of its home stadium.
An Options Report has been submitted by the Task Force to executive bodies at United, the GMCA and Trafford Borough Council. The Task Force, which was set up last March to oversee options for the regeneration of the Old Trafford area, has determined that a redeveloped Old Trafford could increase the capacity of the existing stadium to 87,000, while a new-build stadium would allow capacity to reach 100,000.
United said that both options remain under consideration, with the club set to decide on its preferred approach ahead of the summer. A survey carried out by United back in November found that the majority of fans would prefer a new stadium.
Following the publication of the Options Report, United said that Trafford Council and the GMCA would discuss the benefits of establishing an MDC to help drive the project forward.
In September, United entered into a strategic partnership with Trafford Council and the GMCA to drive regeneration opportunities for the area around Old Trafford. An advisory team will support the ongoing work to develop an “ambitious vision” for the Trafford Wharfside area, with a focus on how Old Trafford can catalyse broader regeneration.
In unveiling the 10-year regeneration plan, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Greater Manchester is ready to kickstart a new decade of growth at the heart of a resurgent North. We’ve used our devolved powers to deliver the biggest change in public transport since the ‘80s. Now we’ll use them to deliver transformative regeneration across our city-region.
“We’re already bucking all the national economic trends – our growth and productivity are above the UK average. But with the backing of Government and private investors, we can do even more and add an extra £13bn a year to the UK economy.
“Our plan will deliver urban regeneration at a pace and scale not seen before in my lifetime and rebalance the rewards of growth across the UK. It will create tens of thousands much-needed homes and high-quality jobs so all our residents can live good lives.”
City signs fan identity partner
Meanwhile, Manchester City has agreed a multi-year deal with Veritran, designating the Latin American technology company as its fan identity partner.
Through the deal, Buenos Aires-headquartered Veritran’s products will integrate with the club’s existing infrastructure, enhancing processes and transactions for fans across key areas such as registration, memberships, and ticketing.
The agreement comes as City continues to progress with its North Stand expansion project at Etihad Stadium, which will see the club add a third tier to the structure, as well as installing a 3,000-capacity fan zone, a 400-bed hotel, a new club shop and a museum at the Etihad Campus.
The expansion, set to be completed during the 2025-26 season, will see Etihad Stadium’s capacity increase from 53,400 to more than 60,000.
Welcome to the Man City family, Veritran
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 23, 2025
More info
Kaitlyn Beale, vice-president of global partnership sales at City Football Group, said: “As a club, we strive to be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and innovation in order to further enhance our solutions-based infrastructure and help us continually improve our processes for fans.
“We are excited by Veritran’s products and solutions and we look forward to working with them to implement this technology over the next few years.”
Marcelo Fondacaro, chief commercial officer at Veritran, added: “This collaboration represents a groundbreaking achievement for Veritran, as we proudly become one of the first LATAM tech companies to partner with Manchester City.
“With Veritran’s proven expertise and the club’s commitment to excellence, this partnership will further enhance Manchester City’s technology infrastructure, creating smoother, more connected, and more enjoyable interactions for fans worldwide.”
