Former Central Retail Park to undergo transformation despite campaigners apprehensions

A Manchester landmark is due to be converted into a huge office complex with added green space however campaigners have argued that it’s ‘not enough’.  

Plans for the future of a former retail park in Ancoats, Manchester, were given the greenlight at a council meeting yesterday despite campaigners fighting for years to turn it into a public park. 

The site has been at the centre of a bitter dispute between local authorities and protestors from the campaign group, But Trees Not Cars. Previously, councillors from Manchester City Council lost a legal battle to turn the site into a care park, although last year the Town Hall published plans for a huge new office complex which includes a green space open for the public.

However, while agreeing that including a green space is good progress for the proposed development, members from the campaign group have said it is ‘not enough’.

Plans for the development were discussed at a cabinet meeting yesterday following a six-week public consultation this year.

Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester Council, said: ‘The development of the former Central Retail Park presents a number of key opportunities to deliver a really impactful programme of regeneration – increasing access to quality public green space, creating a green route to open up and celebrate Cotton Field Park, creating a highly sustainable office space that will support thousands of new jobs in an ecosystem that encourages business growth, and all while bringing an eyesore of a brownfield site back into constructive use.’

Before plans were taken to a council meeting, the public consultation on the revised Strategic Regeneration Framework for the former Central Retail Park received 574 responses, showing a number of individuals had opinions on the matter.

According to a council report, the majority of comments surrounded the concern about what skateboarders would do once the site was demolished. 

Many respondents supported the increase in publicly accessible green space, but some people said the entire area should be converted into a public park. Concerns were also flagged about how the development would affect the neighbouring school, as an increased level of air pollution would be created from construction and the office once it has been built.

Against this backdrop, councillors responded to the report by claiming they recognised that the communities of Ancoats and new Islington want more green space and highlighted ‘significant new public realm investment’ across the city centre. This includes a £34m plan which involves making Ancoats Green ‘the green heart to the neighbourhood’ in the next phase of development for the area.

Image: Sara Bielenkij and Kateryna Tyshkul