Customer profiles - Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors, Beehive Mill
After spending six years at our Boat Shed development in Salford Quays, the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors (ALDC) team have recently moved across Manchester to another Urban Splash workspace, Beehive Mill in Ancoats.
Responsible for providing advice, resources and training for Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners, the ALDC team required our continued service standards but a fresh new look and location.
We caught up with Deputy Chief Executive, Ed Stephenson, about the move and how having the opportunity to move within our portfolio has streamlined the process for him and the team.
Responding to change
“When we first moved to Boat Shed in 2019, we needed an office that would house our team of 13 with space for everyone – fast forward six years, our working patterns in the office have changed and our team tend to split their week with a mix of office and home working.
“While we once required one room with 13 desks, we realised over the last couple of years that a hot desking approach with flexibility for a meeting room or two would be much better suited to us.
“As we were coming to the end of our agreement at Boat Shed, we approached the Urban Splash team with our new requirements to see if they had anything that fit the (new) bill.”
New space, same buzz
"Lettings Surveyor, Ryan, got in touch with us to organise a viewing at Beehive Mill in Ancoats as he had a space in mind for us. The workspace was a larger unit that had been split to create two separate rooms, which was an immediate tick on our list as it meant we would have room for meetings and much-needed storage space.
“We could visualise ourselves in the space immediately which was key. Beehive Mill itself is also quite a striking building, so we were instantly impressed by it. You can appreciate the history of the mill and how it’s been carefully restored with a few quirky features included for good measure.
“Prior to our move to Boat Shed, we’d been based in Manchester city centre and the opportunity to relocate back to being more central was appealing.
“Both Ryan and Carl, the Urban Splash Building Manager, were accommodating with allowing different members of our team to visit and view the space. We needed the whole ALDC team to be on board with the move so having the opportunity for everyone to take the time to visit has been much appreciated.
“As soon as we got the seal of approval from the team, the Urban Splash team were very efficient in organising our paperwork so we could move as soon as possible.”
A hive of opportunity
“The location of Beehive Mill is nothing but ideal. We’re really in the heart of it all here – the transport links are excellent, and we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to lunches and post-work activities.
“The on-site facilities are also really well thought out – nothing feels overinflated, but being able to safely store your bike within the building and then head for a shower before starting work is massively appreciated by myself and the wider team.
“Having the ability to move within the Urban Splash portfolio has made moving offices far less stressful. The team have been extremely accommodating, and we’ve felt that we can always pick up the phone to them if we need anything which is invaluable.
“We’re looking forward to our future at Beehive Mill and seeing the team settle into and thrive in the new space. Huge thanks to the Urban Splash team for making it all happen for us and making the move a positive experience!”
