Manchester: Infrastructure, Developments and Construction

[Scottie Dog]

Does anyone have a start date for 'Spade in Soil' on the TP Programme?

Presumably the electrical work that is currently taking place is in preparation for TP.

Thanks in advance.

 

[User001]

March 12th seems to be the banded date. Just some more prep work needed before a start. All the nooks and crannies have started to be cleared out in T2 though.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Excellent news - thank you, that's almost an early birthday present for me!

 

[Dobbo]

Does anyone have any updated plans for the project?

From a PR perspective, now might be a good time to release some updated renders...

 

[Just Birmingham]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/biggest-loser-heathrow-expansion-everyone-9124067

...have to be honest I thought Manchester had gone on holiday as debate rages.

It's quieter than a church mouse.

What on earth is the strategy?

Do nothing ?

It's PR AGENCY is shocking in terms of spin and not a patch on Brum.

 

[User001]

Or maybe, just like it's always done, instead of using up time to fight a battle it was never going to win, it's quietly been building up a strategy to gain as much growth in the next 10-15 years as possible?

Shrewd way of doing it if you ask me. Don't need to be shouting from the rooftops to prove you are doing something.....

 

[Coathanger16]

Perhaps its because a new runway is 10+ years away and Manchester management believe it will have little to no impact on them.

 

[Land23R]

It has been suggested by some that MAN's TP, while ambitious in design, is actually fairly cautious in terms of expansion and time scale. With the ups and downs of economic cycles, such caution is probably justifiable, but it does cross my mind whether in part it could be to better assess the situation at LHR, as to whether R3 will ever be built and if so, the impact if any on MAN.

Personally, I'm glad Burnham has spoken out, even if it is because he is the Manchester mayoral candidate, on the wider debate about transport infrastructure. However, I wish I could be more optimistic about inter city rivalries being put aside to get the best deal for the North as a whole. On the R3 debate, I can well understand Liverpool being keen to get a link to Heathrow restored as R3 was the only way it is likely to happen. But could there not have been a slight acknowledgement that an airport 30 miles away does provide some options as an international gateway for the people of Merseyside?

As an aside, I'm glad the CEO of Glasgow Airport is not at MAN. He admitted in a BBC interview yesterday they have 10 flights a day to LHR but seemingly wants more. No mention of their own long haul flights, but it made me wonder about the rivalry with EDI who I think were supporting LGW. And of course EDI has more flights to the US than GLA in summer and has QR and EY with EK at GLA.

As to whether MAN and Burnham have got the timing right in terms of the message they want to put across or whether they should have been prodding away during the R3 debate, I suspect the jury is out. Time will tell if those mega projects in London like Crossrail 2 surge ahead while schemes in the North are put on ice or scaled down.

 

[Dobbo]

My view is that expanding LHR impacts MAN less than LGW would although MAN is largely removes from the fallout given the separation of catchment areas.

I think MAN will be aware that it stands to benefit from the HS2/3 station just over the M56. This could have a transformational effect on the catchment but may leave it exposed to similar state aid type claims (the railhead is justified as being for the Cheshire belt and a contribution is expected from the airport).

My feeling is that so long as the government are seen to be supporting it, MAN are content to let LHR and LHW scrap it out. The position may change if STN become involved, but for now it is a watching brief.

 

[Just Birmingham]

In an interview on 5 live last 5 Grayling was unequivocal.

"There will not be a penny of taxpayer money given to Heathrow "

He was asked twice I sense Tony Livesey smelt blood.

When the go ahead was given and Holland - Kaye was salivating I wonder if he realised that HAL will foot the bill for everything.

ARE his shareholders aware they have just been handed a bill of between 5bn and 18bn road/ rail with no underwrite from the government for anything ?

This amount is more than what Heathrow is worth now !!!

Assuming this is correct it would be difficult I guess for Manchester to ask for additional funds although they could point to the £80bn handed out for other transport infastructure in the SEast

 

[Dobbo]

I don't believe MAN got any assistance for R2 and I don't think it gets any assistance for the TP.

There is no doubt MAN is central to the Northern Powerhouse, but there is a long long way to go on both counts.

 

[Yawner]

"Smelt blood" "salivating" ??? I think you're applying your own attributes there? If people stick to the facts rather than emotional and biased arguments, these big decisions could be taken for the greater good or dismissed as folly. Sadly, so many have vested interests that the facts get distorted on both sides and progress is slow and expensive.

 

[Just Birmingham]

Er. They are the facts.

Tony Livesey asked him twice.

On the second point my use of the word salivating is "in context". And it's an interesting debating point.

It would be a dull old world without colour passion , sentiment, emotion or opinion.

 

[Dobbo]

The key things are for MAN to focus on it's own plans. Should these plans be executed well, the impact on MAN will be negligible or even positive.

• Deliver the TP no later than the present timetable in order to ensure the 55m capacity of the airport can be reached and that the airport can provide the facilities needed to support the growth of premium demand at the airport and to service the airline customers.
• Focus on lobbying for and maximising the benefits of HS2 and in particular HS3 in order to broaden the catchment area. It is irritating that MAN is described as being "for Manchester". It clearly serves a catchment area that includes Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle, the East Midlands, parts of Scotland and even Birmingham. This identity, cutting across regional divides, should be embraced.
• Lobby for improvements to the local, regional and national road networks. Some of the schemes would be transformational for MAN - such as the trans Pennine tunnel - which would bring Sheffield and the East Midlands well into the catchment.
• Take advantage of the capacity constraints over the next 15-20 years. As has been seen time and time again, outside of LHR, MAN has the strongest demand for "full service" long haul travel. MAN has always had a strong long haul network and there is an opportunity to attract carriers that otherwise wouldn't have been interested in MAN. With work, they can be retained for the long haul (pardon the pun).
• Get, and take advantage of USPBC. This should attract a number of additional transit flights to the US and there might be an opportunity to claw back some of the transit traffic from DUB.

There is a lot to get cracking with and I would hope that with a little guidance MAN can navigate its self into a very strong position by the Mid/late 2020's...

 

[ethanegcc]

RUNWAY OPERATING HOURS WINTER 2016-17

Courtesy of MAGWorld

Dual runway operations will be in force 0630-1030 and 1600-2000 hours Local Time Monday to Friday: 0630-1000 hours Saturday: 1600-2000 hours Sunday.

Christmas Day and New Year's day will be single runway operations throughout the day.

Do these times come into effect tomorrow (SUN 30th OCT)?

 

[Scottie Dog]

Effective 0001hrs Monday 31st October.

 

[ethanegcc]

Great. This will mean there will be a few more departures on 23R in a morning e.g. VS 333 to ATL and SV 789 to JED will both have winter times before 1030.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Erm nothe necessarily. Reread opening times. Dual ops until 1030 Mon-Fri so you will only get VS or SV at a weekend.

 

[ethanegcc]

You mean, you will only get those two on a weekday?

 

[Scottie Dog]

I don't know which days SV operate on, but if you want to see it depart from 23R and the departure is before 1030 then it would need to be at the weekend. otherwise it would be a 23L in use.

Hope that helps.