Steelwork Goes Up at East Manchester's Lime Square!

13 September 2011

School children, residents and local councillors have taken part in a topping out ceremony to celebrate work getting underway at east Manchester’s newest retail development.

The second phase of the £40 million Lime Square development in Openshaw will deliver eight new modern, purpose built retail units neighbouring the area’s new Morrisons store which opened last November.

And to celebrate the steelwork being erected on the site off Ashton Old Road in Openshaw a flag was dropped from the highest point at the ceremony which was attended by the development team and residents groups as well as councillors and local school children.

Funded by Barclays this next phase of works will bring more new retail space to the area as part of the strategic regeneration of this part of east Manchester - the team at Dransfield Properties has worked in partnership with New East Manchester and Manchester City Council to bring a new district centre to the area.

Eight new units are currently under construction to be ready for a Christmas opening with further retail and leisure space to be delivered next year. Greggs, Store 21, B and M Bargains and Poundland have already signed up to take space in the new development.

Retail Property Director at Dransfield Properties Andrew Malley, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating this milestone in the development. The opening of the new Morrisons store has made this a really vibrant area and we are very excited about building on that success with this next phase of work.

“From the earliest stage this has been a partnership approach in identifying what the area needs and how to move forward and deliver that.”

Lime Square is part of one of the country’s biggest regeneration programmes - New East Manchester and Manchester City Council helped to deliver the scheme through Compulsory Purchase Orders; the original site comprised 40 different land interests.

Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester said: "The next phase of development at Lime Square is fantastic news for East Manchester helping to transform the area, creating new jobs for local residents and, by adding more shops to the existing Morrison's store, this investment will provide more reasons to visit Openshaw."

By Christmas 37,000 sq ft of new space will have been completed at Lime Square with a further 39,500 sq ft to come.

The new Morrisons store created 320 new jobs in the area; once all the work on the second phase has been completed a further 430 jobs will have been created.

For further information about Dransfield Properties visit www.dransfield.co.uk

Picture shows Head Boy and Head Girl at St Clements School Devon Upton and Connor Farrell with local residents, councillors and the development team at Lime Square in Openshaw.

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk