08/02/2010

New chairman appointed for New East Manchester

A new chairman has been appointed for New East Manchester (NEM) and said he is excited to have closer involvement in the regeneration of the city.

Simon Bate, director at Ask Developments, has replaced Robert Hough as chairman of the urban regeneration company, which has created over 700 east Manchester houses for sale, with a further 1,400 in the pipeline.

Mr Bate said: "To have greater involvement in one of the biggest regeneration projects in the country and to be given the opportunity to make a significant contribution to shaping this part of the city is extremely exciting and a real privilege."

East Manchester was one of the country's most deprived areas by the 1990s, following a decline in the manufacturing industry that began in the early 1970s.

Now, however, the area is undergoing extensive regeneration and over 3,000 jobs have been created in the region thanks largely to the involvement of NEM.