Helping Manchester get Back to Business

Manchester City Centre is open for business.  CityCo, Chamber of Commerce and pro-manchester are working with Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police and Marketing Manchester to warmly welcome back thousands of vital workers, commuters and visitors to the city centre.

Our public transport system is operating near normal timetables and parking operators, public realm managers, retailers, eateries and leisure venues have all worked hard to ensure the city is a safe, welcoming and lively place to come back to.

As autumn sets in and we see a return to schools, universities and workplaces, the new ‘normal’ certainly looks different, but Manchester’s corporate community and public partners are sharing best practice and innovative solutions to working in our new world.

We believe there are many positives of employees heading safely back into the city centre; to work flexibly, foster new routines, meet with colleagues and friends, share ideas, and have fun in our modern and diverse city.  This will be crucial in the coming months to support all reopened businesses and to help revive the city economy we all know.

Together, let’s encourage more and more people to enjoy the benefits of working in such a vibrant place.  We are here to help provide the information and reassurance you need to help build staff confidence in a return to work.

The City Centre is Open

• Manchester Arndale, New Cathedral Street, Market Street, King Street, St Ann’s Square, Spinningfields, Deansgate, Northern Quarter and other city retailers are open for lunchtime and after-work shopping
• Manchester city centre’s hundreds of food and drink outlets are open for daily eats and drinks
• Manchester’s cultural venues are open for gallery, cinema, library, and museum visits
• Gyms are open for mid-week workouts
• Corporate event venues are open for off-site meetings, training and presentations
• The BID’s information officers, Manchester’s ‘City Hosts’, are on the streets to help returning workers and visitors

NOW OPEN

Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art
HOME
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Central Library
National Football Museum
Everyman, Odeon, Vue Cinemas
People’s History Museum
Science and Industry Museum
The Printworks
Castlefield Gallery (16 September)
Manchester Museum (16 September)
The Whitworth (16 September)

The City Centre is Prepared

• Face coverings are being worn as compulsory on public transport and in all shops
• Retailers and city businesses are actively managing entrances, exits, and the number of people in stores/restaurants/cafes with social distancing and well-being measures in place
• Employers are continuing to work with staff to make workplace safety the priority
• Office landlords are reengineering workspaces with one-way systems, screens, hand-washing stations and full risk assessments in place
• Increased street cleansing regimes are running across high footfall streets, including jet-washing
• All public transport operators are operating enhanced cleaning schedules and displaying additional signage

“Getting people back into city centre offices is a vital element of the economy’s recovery that will benefit those in retail, leisure, hospitality and the wider business community. But it has to be done safely, gradually and by providing as much support as possible to our customers and their employees, as well as our own colleagues. We recognised that from the outset. Safety and wellbeing has underpinned each decision we’ve made so far.”

Ciara Keeling
CEO, Bruntwood Works

“The office environment is so much more than a place of work, it is a hub of innovation, collaboration and inclusivity which shapes a large portion of people’s daily social interaction and acts as a constant in their day to day lives. The pandemic has created opportunities and challenges for commercial real estate occupiers that will likely usher in a new era of creative problem-solving, with new tools and technologies, along with a focus on employee wellness, all enhancing the office experience.”

John Ogden
Managing Director, CBRE North

“At City Tower and No.1 Spinningfields we have been working hard to ensure the building is safe and ready to welcome back occupiers. We have implemented one-way systems, added additional signage to highlight social distancing, installed sanitizer stations and ensured additional routine cleaning. It’s been great to see so many people return to both of our buildings and we are continuing to support occupiers who are in the process of facilitating a safe return to work.”

Rob Cosslett
Deputy Fund Manager, Schroders UK Real Estate

The City Centre is Accessible

• TfGM are committed to getting people moving safely again
• Patrols have increased on trams to remind people that face masks are compulsory
• Metrolink has been risk assessed and measures are in place to increase social distancing and anti-viral cleaning protocols
• Off-peak tram and bus travel is encouraged to help maintain social distancing
• Hand sanitizer dispensers are located at transport interchanges, bus stations and tram stops
• TfGM staff are on-hand to assist passengers on platforms and at stations
• Walking and cycling are encouraged which can improve staff health and wellbeing
• Free 1-2-1 training is available to help improve cycling confidence
• NCP and CitiParks are offering discounted car parking passes

Off-Peak Travel

• The return to work and school has begun to have an impact on public transport and there have now been changes to timetables
• Commuters are encouraged to travel off-peak (outside of 4-7pm)
• To comply with social distancing, services will have lower capacities than before
• Traffic volumes have risen too, so it’s vital for people who are going to work to think about how and when they are going to travel
• Up-to-date travel advice at tfgm.com

Metrolink Updates to Services

• Metrolink services are extended by 1 hour: now finishing at midnight Monday-Saturday and 11pm on Sundays
• On Sundays, the frequency of tram services are now one every 15 minutes between 7am and 11pm
• On Monday-Friday tram services are operating at a 10-minute frequency between 6am and 7pm and then every 20 minutes until midnight
• On Saturdays, a 10-minutes frequency is in place between 8am and 8pm and then every 20 minutes until midnight
• TfGM are operating as many double trams as possible

Get in Touch

Now that flexibility is the new norm, Manchester city centre businesses need the support of office landlords, owners, managers and occupiers.

Let us know how we can help you to reassure staff and build confidence in a return to the workplace. So many city centre businesses depend on the custom of your staff.

Get in touch at [email protected]

Manchester is Open

CityCo
Chamber of Commerce
pro-manchester