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BBC’s Director General Mark Thompson hints “it could grow further” |
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Thursday, 14 June 2007 |
At a reception last night at the Pie Factory in Salford Quays to celebrate the signing of contracts and the relocation of BBC five departments to Salford Quays, Mark Thompson said “It’s real, it’s going to happen and indeed over the next four years it’s possible it could grow further.”
Hosted by Andy Sumners of Sumners in the Pie Factory, a 120,000 sq ft production unit adjacent to mediacity:uk, over 200 guests heard Thompson and Bryan Gray, chairman of the NWDA give short speeches of thanks to those they believed had helped pull the deal off.
 Thompson
He recalled that when he was appointed DG, people said to him, “hang on Mark, you don’t need to do this, Greg’s (Dyke) gone. Or if you really feel you need to make a gesture, reduce it by half or less.
“But we didn’t. We kept the dream alive and the number of people, departments and budgets which are moving north.
Salford came up with an idea that was bigger than that we were thinking of. It ticked all the boxes we needed ticking but it was perhaps the idea of the BBC as a catalyst for major media regeneration of Salford that was so exciting. It was something that we felt would make its mark internationally.”
Among a whole host of people who had played key roles in helping to make the relocation happen, he singled out three individuals in particular: Felicity Goodey, Bryan Gray and John Whittaker.
“There are” he said “many words to describe Felicity but ‘no’ is not one of them. Her calm confidence was one of the reasons it has happened.”
Of John Whittaker, the owner of Peel Holdings, the developer of mediacity:uk, he said “his vision, conviction, determination and sheer scale of ambition is extraordinary.
“And finally Bryan Gray (chairman of the NWDA). He has sometimes felt like the only sane person in the room. His management of the negotiations and resilience have been outstanding.”
Site clearance is now underway and completion is forecast for 2011. The BBC is leasing approximately 500,000 sq ft of production and office space from Peel.
There is a growing belief that ITV will move its 1,000 Granada staff to the site and a number of other media companies have expressed interest now that the Beeb has confirmed its move. Salford University has also expressed interest in moving over 4,000 students and staff on media related courses to purpose built new buildings on the site.
www.mediacityuk.co.uk
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