Sales of construction plant equipment have been very busy in Manchester over the past couple of decades, with the ever-growing array of skyscrapers just the most visually obvious testimony to a massive building boom.
However, there have been plenty more projects beyond the city centre and one of the biggest projects in decades could be set to take place at Old Trafford.
The centrepiece of this will be the revamped home of Manchester United, with a new document published this month revealing that an expansion of the existing stadium, first built in 1910, would take its capacity up to 87,000 seats, but a completely new stadium on adjacent land could provide a venue holding 100,000.
However, this was just part of the vision outlined in the report by the Old Trafford Task Force as it presented its feasibility study.
A stadium redevelopment would be a big project and a new stadium a huge one, but the masterplan being developed for the area is gigantic. The wider urban regeneration plan would involve building new homes, student accommodation, shops and business premises, with the potential to create 90,000 new jobs and add £7 billion to the UK economy.
Executive member for economy and regeneration at Trafford Council, Cllr Liz Patel, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform Old Trafford and the surrounding area, creating tens of thousands of new jobs and much-needed new homes.”
Much of the new development could link up with the ever-expanding Media City UK just across the Manchester Ship Canal in Salford, where the blueprint involves more homes as well as additional media facilities.
The last few years have already seen much development on the other side of Manchester, where Manchester City redeveloped land close to their Etihad Stadium for a new training ground and academy, while work is currently taking place to expand the stadium and provide more facilities for fans outside.