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Manchester is the regional capital of the north west of England, the UK’s largest economic region outside London. The region comprises some 2.5 million households, has a population of over six million and a GDP of £50 billion. The Greater Manchester conurbation is by far the most densely populated part of the region, with over 2.5 million people living in an area of 1,200 km2. Manchester stands at the heart of both the conurbation and the region. The city itself, having a population of around 430,000, is the largest of the ten Greater Manchester districts, but in a relatively small area of 117 kms.
Manchester is a city of startling contrasts and significant challenges. It is the north west’s regional centre for finance, commerce, retail, culture and leisure, home to a major international airport and one of the largest student populations in Europe. It is transforming itself from an industrial city dependent on manufacturing to a thriving, modern, dynamic, international city. Whilst manufacturing remains important, Manchester has attracted growth in the knowledge - based economy and is in the top ten of European cities for business location. But the economic success of the city centre is in sharp contrast to surrounding communities which suffer some of the highest concentrations of crime, poor health and poor housing in the country with 27 of its 33 wards among the most deprived 10% nationally and at 9.1% an unemployment rate nearly twice the national average.
The past decade has seen the growth of an increasingly strong service sector, while even devastating bomb damage to the city centre could not stem the accelerating process of dynamic change and renewed confidence. One of the largest metropolitan authorities in England, Manchester City Council has 26,000 employees and an annual budget of over £500 million. The Council’s central purpose is to reverse the cycle of decline and build a strong, sustainable city of the future for the benefit of all its people. |
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