Urban regeneration company, New East Manchester has announced that work will start today, Monday 6 September, on site preparation of a 17 acre plot (6.88 hectares) at Eastlands next to the City of Manchester stadium.

The £8 million project is being undertaken by remediation specialists Buckingham Group Contracting and follows extensive site investigations. The works, which include capping disused mine shafts from the former Bradford colliery, will take seven months.

Funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Manchester City Council, the Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the scheme will make the land, which formed part of the site proposed for the regional casino, ready for future development.

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The project builds on other investment by the four funding partners to support the continued development of Eastland's sporting, leisure and economic infrastructure, including the new National Indoor BMX Centre and a network of new pedestrian and cycle links to the surrounding area, which are currently on site.

Eddie Smith, Chief Executive of New East Manchester, said: "This is a crucial step towards bringing this strategically important piece of land back into use. When the right developer is found we want to be in a position to be ready to move quickly and deliver a scheme that will make Eastlands a leading international leisure and sporting destination. Not only do we want to create a scheme that will attract significant visitors to East Manchester and bring economic benefits to the whole North West region, but we also remain committed to creating employment opportunities for local people."

(CD/KMcA)