Manchester’s post-Covid journey

Local experts agree that the pandemic is likely to have long-term implications for the evolution of the city and its property markets. Lucy Alderson reports on EG’s recent Future of Manchester debate.

On an overcast morning on 24 March, the city of Manchester woke to its first day of lockdown. Normally bustling with commuters rushing to their offices, the city’s streets were silent. Trams still running rumbled down their tracks, carriages mostly empty. Cafes which would usually be busy frothing milk for caffeine-hungry workers closed their doors, and pubs which would welcome in Friday night revellers with open arms remained shut.

But as the country emerges out of months of lockdown, the city’s streets are no longer silent. Earlier this month, Manchester City Council revealed that it was looking to pedestrianise some streets in the city in order for pubs, restaurants and cafes to spill business out into the roads to keep to social distancing measures.

Property businesses have also outlined to EG how they are planning to keep the city’s key areas open for business. Capital & Centric co-founder Tim Heatley told EG that security will be put in place around food, drink and office space to help the public adhere to social distancing rules. Meanwhile, Property Alliance Group managing director Alex Russell said health and safety measures have been put in place in all its buildings, including extra cleaning shifts, signage outlining social distancing measures and hand sanitiser stations.

As the city plots its way back to a new normal, what are the essential lessons that Manchester must learn from the lockdown, and how will the city change forever?

Disruption and change

Although lockdown is easing, uncertainty still remains around how we can return as safely as possible back to normality while still keeping to social distancing rules. This is a question that is being constantly debated, especially by city authorities such as Manchester’s.

Are we underestimating how much Manchester will have to change because of Covid-19? Savills director James Evans argues that change was already happening, but Covid-19 has “accelerated the disruptive factors that have already been occurring for a number of years”.

Retail is an example of this, Evans says, as coronavirus has further boosted the number of customers who have moved online to shop during lockdown. The office market, he says, will also “undoubtedly be disrupted” as more companies look to offer more agile working options in the aftermath of the Covid crisis, which could spur a re‑evaluation of office space requirements.

“These were things that were already in play,” Evans said. “I don’t see the crisis itself in isolation a key trigger.”

Andrew Pattinson, Shoosmiths’ head of real estate in Manchester, says the city is in a good position to react and adapt as a result of the crisis. Manchester has “done pretty well changing itself” over the past decade or so, and Covid-19 will only put the spotlight on the city’s next stage of evolution.

“Some of the things that we’re wanting to change [in the city], this need has only been magnified during the crisis,” he said. “We all want more green space in the city centre, and plans have been put in place over the last couple of years. But the crisis has magnified the need for that. Less traffic in city centres is also what we want, and without traffic [during lockdown] we have seen huge improvements in air quality.”

Sustainability post-Covid

Although commuting into the city plummeted dramatically during the peak of the crisis, coming out of lockdown has seen a resurgence in the number of cars on the roads, Evans says, as “people naturally remain fearful of their own space and social distancing”. He says that in the short-term, people will choose cars over public transport – but this won’t stay the case for long.

“I do feel people will start getting back to the normality of jumping on the train and jumping on the tram,” he says. “But that is going to take time – I also don’t see this being a long-term trend. We speak to occupiers in the city and across the UK, and without a shadow of a doubt, one of their top three points on their agendas is ESG… there is a recognition that sustainability is here to stay.”

Getting people back on public transport will surely be an issue the city authorities are looking at. With Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s target to hit net zero by 2030, switching cars for more sustainable transport will be a priority in the long-term.

Localism as a disruptor?

With freedom of movement curtailed over the past few months, people have been discovering and using local shops and suppliers. But could this surge in support for local businesses mean that the city centre economy suffers as we come out of lockdown?

Pattinson says we need to look at the design of city centres, how we use them, and what we want from them. “I think the emphasis is going to be on leisure and culture,” he says. “Some of the things Manchester has done really well in the past are things like the International Festival… it is these kinds of things that we should be focusing on.”

Octopus Real Estate head of residential D’mitri Zaprzala says that Manchester now needs to provide the sort of spaces and facilities that people really want to make itself as attractive as possible.

“The likes of Amsterdam and Barcelona are becoming more pedestrian-friendly, and in London cycle superhighways are in place,” he says. “I think Manchester has definitely got room to improve in that area, and I think it will provide a more pleasurable experience.”

As Mancunians return to their beloved city, it’s clear that a number of critical changes need to be made to make sure the city thrives post-Covid. But the speakers all agree that the heart and spirit of Manchester must continue, and trade off what makes the city so great – its nightlife, culture, and vibrancy.

Click here to listen to the debate in full along with the other Future of Manchester sessions >>