Manchester's Big Apple.

Dale Street, Manchester - looking better than ever!
The set for Captain America - walk down a real street....

Triumphant Town Hall

I was over the moon (again) that Laing O'Rourke won the contract to refurbish Manchester Town Hall......not only beacause they are a great Manchester builder.... but also because at DPP Shape, Shelagh McNerney helped them communicate some of their ideas about local labour, regeneration and genuinely using a building contract to make a real difference to Manchester people. I can't wait to see what they are going to do with the whole civic quarter. Manchester is so modern.........

Leaving Liverpool.....

Leaving Liverpool … Again.

I left Liverpool in 1983 … and I have just left it again … Shelagh was finally told by the Liverpool client team to “put the pen down”…. The North Liverpool Strategic Regeneration Framework was signed off as a piece of consultancy work.…the end of one of our biggest strategic jobs!

As consultants we immerse ourselves in places and get to know new people on every job - that’s what’s great. With Liverpool – I could re – discover my own City and loved bombing down the M62 for meetings and presentations and debates - trying not to be late but often waiting patiently through Salford at the Manchester end and Edge Lane at the Liverpool end. The site visits around the Port and the football clubs and the walking tours of streets filled with history – Scotland, Netherfield, Vauxhall, Stanley were all edited highlights of people’s lives – my own this time! Our challenge was to focus on the future and communicate what can be done now. Fixing a framework during times of turbulent funding and policy changes was no box ticking exercise – hence the need to keep hold of that pen and the “track changes” button! We have produced a starting point for discussions about investment, economic development and creating neighbourhoods that people want to live in....more about that in future blogs......

Like in all of our Cities, there is much to do in Liverpool and I am restless and impatient to see more happen. I left Liverpool again, although it wouldnt take much take much for me to return.