Council reveals its Etihad Campus plans
MANCHESTER City Council has unveiled its plans for community facilities at Manchester City’s planned Etihad Campus.
It is proposing a new leisure centre with a swimming pool, a 600-place sixth form college, a sports research institute and retail units at the 16-acre site next to City’s new academy.
Known as the “Beswick Project Masterplan”, it will go to the council’s executive on September 12.
The scheme is expected to create almost 200 jobs and attract around 2,500 visitors a day to the area.
The council is proposing:
- A leisure centre with a public swimming pool and a multi-court space, expected to attract up to 600 people a day, and create around 25 full and part-time jobs.
- Connell Sixth Form College, a 600-place sixth form college for 16 to 19-year-olds. Funding for the college, which will be run by the Bright Futures Education Trust, has been approved by the government and it is planned to take students from September 2013.
- A sports research institute, supporting high performing athletes across a range of sports.
- Improved local shops.
Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: “The significance of this project in powering forward the regeneration of East Manchester should not be underestimated. We believe it will create a new centre of gravity for the area, providing new opportunities for education, leisure and jobs.”
The council will launch a six-week consultation with residents on September 17.
