Property News: Graphene hub – first images; Oldham improvements
THE University of Manchester has unveiled the first images of its planned National Graphene Institute.
The £61m building will be the UK’s home of research into the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material.
It is hoped the centre will initially create around 100 jobs.
The 80,000 sq ft building will house state-of-the-art facilities, including two cleanrooms. One will take up the whole of the lower ground floor.
The new facility was designed by London-based architects Jestico + Whiles.
Graphene, isolated for the first time at the university by Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov in 2004.
Work is set to start on the five-story building next March. It should be finished in early 2015.
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OLDHAM Council has approved £2.5m plans for street improvements and new open spaces around the Metrolink extension.
The works are part of a wider four-year programme of public realm improvements.
Council leader Jim McMahon said: “These plans are all about our ambition and determination to deliver a new high-quality environment in Oldham town centre.
”We are looking to go above and beyond the standard ‘finish’ you get with a new Metrolink line and deliver something extra – something that makes a step-change in the town centre and a better experience for everyone.”
Oldham town centre’s Metrolink extension will divert from the existing Oldham/Rochdale line near Westwood Business Park before heading north and running parallel to Featherstall Road.
The route then turns east to follow Middleton Road before heading south towards Manchester Street roundabout. It will cross Manchester Street roundabout, head along Union Street and then re-join the Oldham Rochdale line at Mumps.
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LIVERPOOL building firm, Fletchrose, has secured three new contract wins, worth £2m.
It has won a £1.2m job to refurbish old housing stock for South Staffordshire Housing; a £500,000 contract to refurbish residential buildings in Sefton; and a £300,000 job with devloper Southdale to carry out remedial works for new housing.
Managing director Paul Durose said: “We’ve grown steadily and cautiously during the past five years and have slowly made an organic move from subcontractor to main contractor which has taken us to a different level.
“There are plenty of other opportunities ahead and we’re working closely with several Merseyside based housing associations, businesses and organisations with whom we are already discussing a series of major projects for the year ahead.”
Fletchrose is based at Aintree Business Park and employs 80 staff.
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MERSEYWAY Shopping Centre in Stockport says it achieved record visitor numbers in 2012, with more than one million in December.
The total number of visitors to Merseyway reached 10,638,420 – up 5% on the total for 2011.
Jacqueline O’Shea, head of management at GVA Manchester and managing agent, said: “To achieve record visitor numbers in such a challenging environment for retailers is an outstanding achievement and testimony to the diverse and popular retail offering of Merseyway.
“Despite the testing economic conditions persisting in 2013 we look forward to repeating this success with further special events designed to attract yet more visitors.”
