Plans to green up Ancoats put into motion

Manchester City Council has submitted plans to transform Ancoats with green public space in the final phase of a decades long regeneration project.

Plans involve reducing vehicle traffic, promoting active travel and planting a variety of trees wildflowers and greenery to boost biodiversity.

Ancoats Green is set to act as a green focal point, while a new public realm will be created on Prussia Street and Jersey Green.

Walking and cycling routes will also be designed from Poland Street to Butler Street and from Portugal Street to the Rochdale Canal which will connect the community to the Ancoats Mobility Hub.

The council is aiming to make the area pedestrian friendly with new streetlights and secure pathways, so active travel becomes the natural option for the community. There will also be more opportunities to get outside, with new accessible play areas for children.

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: ‘We are committed to creating more and improved green space across the city and provide access to high quality parks close to where people live and work. Although this is a challenge in the city centre, this investment is a statement of our intent to deliver green space for our communities – and the proposals for Ancoats join a range of green investment either underway or completed.’

Craig highlighted the new Mayfield Park which opened last year, Cotton Field Park in New Islington which transformed a former retail park, and Electric Park – the city’s first zero carbon campus – as the council’s recent achievements.

She added: ‘These are examples of the long-term ambition we have for Manchester to create a greener, cleaner place to live – that celebrates active travel and provides opportunities for our residents to walk and cycle through attractive green neighbourhoods.’

The project will see an expected 76% net increase in trees and 32% of new surfaces will be made from reclaimed materials to create permeable sustainable drainage systems. A wetland is also planned for the area, while a large amount of land will be planted with vegetation and wildflowers.

Ancoats Green, which will involve new footpaths, green space and play areas, will be completed by 2024 and work on Jersey Green will begin in 2025.

The creation of a green corridor and installation of intelligent drainage systems and water tolerant plants and trees on Prussia Street will start in 2027.

£28.1m from Homes England will support the final phase of the scheme, which will ensure 1,500 new homes are built in the area, as well as the creation of a new mobility hub. This will be combined with £4.7m from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority through the Brownfield Housing Fund.  

Photo by Beth Macdonald