The two town centre developments are the first to be approved that are part of the council’s £1.2bn regeneration masterplan for the borough.
North West Archives - NewStart
The park will be the city’s first in over a century.
Since the last train left Mayfield in 1986, there have been various failed attempts to bring the 100-year-old former train station back into life, but none had stuck until now.
Greater Manchester is famously the home of the co-operative movement in the UK, dating back to the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers founded in 1844.
‘We want our people to feel ownership of the cultural offer of Greater Manchester.’
The £27.5m Central Street development, proposed by the build-to-rent developer Placefirst, forms part of the council’s £1.2bn town centre masterplan.
The council’s ideas for overhauling the public square include improved lighting and design, relaying pedestrian routes and transforming its concrete pavilion into a green ‘living wall’.
Liverpool-based social enterprise PLACED have launched the PLACED Academy in the hope of inspiring new architects, planners and urban designers.
The council say they have ‘long-held ambitious plans’ for the site but due to lack of funding, they’ve been unable to carry out remediation works.
It is hoped The Factory will make an important contribution to the regeneration of this part of the city centre.