The BBC’s almost wholesale move to Salford Quays in 2011 was viewed as a boon for the North West, so plans to double MediaCityUK in size over the coming decade seem to bode well.
The development saw a 75 per cent increase in employment in Salford’s creative industries between 2011 and 2014 while an independent report by KPMG found that the overall boost for the UK economy was £277million.
But was there a cost for start-ups in Greater Manchester?
Degree 53 MD Andrew Daniels, speaking before the new plans were announced, said the Corporation’s move has driven up freelance day rates and salaries for tech workers.
“When you’ve got an organisation which pays London prices, everyone else has to adapt to that,” he told BusinessCloud.
“A dot net contractor before they were there was probably £300 a day – now you’re probably looking at £450 a day.
“For a graduate developer five years ago you were probably looking at £18,000 [salary] – you’re looking at £26,000 now, and some people are paying £30k.
“I was working for about eight years before I earned 30 grand, but people just want that straight from university now.”
Ambitious plans submitted to Salford City Council are intended to see the construction of up to ten new buildings with a development value of more than £1 billion.
Outline approval for the plans was granted in 2006 and the finalised plans are expected to be considered by Salford’s planning panel in September.
MediaCityUK is a joint venture between Peel Land and Property and Legal and General Capital, who share a long-term commitment to the further expansion of a creative and digital hub which already houses 250 businesses including the BBC, ITV, dock10, Ericsson and SIS.