Sky's the limit as city continues to be'shining light'

Demand for accommodation is still going strong

- ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

THE boss of Deansgate skyscraper builder Renaker says Manchester is a "shining light" for the whole of the UK as he prepares to bring thousands more apartments to Manchester and Salford.

In a rare public appearance, Renaker founder and CEO Daren Whitaker said he was proud of his towers that have changed Manchester's skyline and said there was much more to come as demand for city centre living remains strong.

Mr Whitaker joined city leaders at the MIPIM property festival in Cannes on the French Riviera, where cities from around the world promote themselves to investors. He joined a panel on Why We Do BusiIn Manchester, alongside speakers from developers Cortland and Muse.

The Renaker boss talked about Renaker's expansion plans for thousands more homes, talked about how families and older people are looking to city centre living and even addressed some criticism of his firm's soaring towers.

Asked why Renaker had focused on Manchester ahead of other UK cities, Mr Whitaker simply laughed: "Because it's the best".

He then explained that Manchester's strong population growth over the last decade was "unprecedented" and brought lots of opportunities for regeneration.

He said the fact that half of the city's university graduates stay in the area was "fantastic for the city's growth - that's talent, that attracts businesses, and that provides and underpins the demand (for homes)." 

And he added: "Expectations, and the quality of what people want, have changed. So the days of looking to rent from university and then move into suburbia to buy your own house, as has been the case traditionally, have completely changed.

"We see within our developments that yes, there are a lot of 18-29-yearolds but there are definitely a lot more young families, a lot more downsizers, because they want the city lifestyle, the food and drink offering, the cultural offering..."