Work underway on Didsbury Technology Park

Work is underway on a major new commercial and residential development in south Manchester that will see the creation of a new science and technology park for the City.

Leading regional property company Bruntwood, Siemens, PJ Livesey and Manchester City Council have formed a strategic partnership to deliver Didsbury Technology Park, which occupies nine acres of the Siemens Campus at West Didsbury.

The scheme will deliver 20,000sq ft of Grade A office space and 92 new homes in the first phase, which is due to complete by the first quarter of 2019.

Upon completion, it will provide over 155,000sq ft of new purpose built commercial workspace in three buildings delivered over three phases, as well as a multi-storey car park and high quality landscaped environment.

Manchester-based housebuilder PJ Livesey has completed agreement for the residential element of the project, which will provide 48, contemporary four and five bedroom homes with roof terraces and 44 apartments in a landmark new building.

The scheme off Princess Parkway in West Didsbury will sit alongside the existing Sir William Siemens House and the new £65m Spire Manchester Hospital.

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: “The development will bring new jobs in a strategically important location close to the motorway and only 10 minutes from Manchester Airport. This is welcome news and will contribute to the city's strategies by creating employment opportunities which Manchester people will be able to access."

PJ Livesey director Craig Lynch said: “This is an important milestone for the partnership and we are excited about starting work to deliver a wide range of properties. These will be high-quality family homes sitting alongside a distinctive new apartment building and we anticipate the first completions by the end of this year.”

Chief Operating Officer, Bruntwood, Richard Burgess said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Manchester City Council, Siemens and PJ Livesey to bring this exciting project to fruition. Didsbury Technology Park will be one of the best-connected sites in the city, benefitting from its excellent location, close to both the Oxford Road Corridor innovation district and the airport.

“We anticipate the whole site to be fully developed and occupied by 2020 with an impressive cluster of science and technology businesses collaborating and working closely with Siemens and Spire to make a valuable contribution to the Manchester and wider regional economy.”

Robin Phillips, Site Director, Siemens, said: “We are delighted Didsbury will be at the heart of the latest manufacturing and industrial technologies. Didsbury Technology Park represents a great opportunity for growth, and Siemens looks forward to welcoming the latest entrepreneurs and innovators to our site.”

Cushman & Wakefield and JLL are acting as agents for the scheme.

Slater Heelis advised PJ Livesey.