Here’s how new £32.7m city centre park Ancoats Green will look

Part of the regeneration of Ancoats, a major investment is now underway to improve the pre-existing Ancoats Green to create an improved city centre park.

Funds for the Green are provided through Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to provide the groundwork for the 1,500 new homes that will be brought forward.

Ancoats Green Park

This will act as a new focal point for the area and the closing chapter in the regeneration of Ancoats – now probably Manchester’s coolest neighbourhood – which began more than 20 years ago.

The scheme will include new walking and cycling routes, new play areas with accessible equipment, open grass areas, significant new planting, and space for hosting small events.

The Green also creates a seamless route from the Council’s This City affordable housing scheme on Rodney Street through to the new Mobility Hub and city centre beyond.

The Green will act as a new focal point for the area, to create high-quality public green spaces that create a strong sense of place and help create a low-traffic, pedestrian-first neighbourhood.

It will also pay homage to the industrial and manufacturing heritage of this part of the city centre.

Cllr Bev Craig on Ancoats Green

Cllr Bev Craig, leader of the Council, says, “Ancoats and New Islington – and Miles Platting to the north – are proving trendy places to live and it’s not surprising as a city centre location close to jobs, services and entertainment, alongside excellent transport links.

“We also know that more and more people are choosing to have families in the city centre and we have an opportunity through this investment to create a new green heart for Ancoats with open grassed spaces and a new play park that will allow the community grow and knit around it”.

The total budget comes to £32.7m, with Homes England committing £28.1m- along with the Mobility Hub- and the £4.7m allocated by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority through the Brownfield Housing Fund.

Ancoats’ industrial past

From the late 18 th century onwards, Ancoats was a thriving industrial district, and has been considered to be “the world’s first industrial suburb”. The area is dominated by massive mill buildings, which were once the manufacturers of cotton, foundries, and glass work. There was also a drysalters factory, which was said to be the only one in England.

In 2021, Ancoats was officially named as ‘Manchester’s Slice of Italy’. With a history of migrant Italian families- the area was given a plaque to celebrate and recognise how the city became the place it is today thanks to these many homeowners.

One of the most famous of these migrants is Antonio Valvona, who is credited as the inventor of the wafer ice cream cone.

Until the 1890s, ice cream served from street carts was licked straight out of glass bowls which were rinsed before being used for the next customer.

As a nod to the history of the site, once central to the flint glass works district of Ancoats, the entrances to the space will include design features that reference its industrial past.

How Ancoats Green will support wildlife and biodiversity

The area will see a drastic change over the next few months including nearly 1400 metres of new planting and another 3650 metres of wildflowers.

Overall, there should be around a 76% increase in trees in the area with a promise from the authority that each tree that is cut down in the process will
see two planted in its place.

A focus has been put on ensuring that a vast range of varieties of plants will be used which will mean the area will vibrant and colourful throughout the seasons.

An avenue of cherry trees is also set to be planted creating a picturesque area for residents and visitors alike.

With a key focus on recycling is present throughout the scheme- with even the granite paving stones removed from Albert Square planned to be reused at Ancoats Green reducing the carbon footprint of the development.

Supporting wildlife has also been a key consideration and increasing biodiversity to encourage new species to the Green is a key driving force behind the plans.

The wider investment in the green spaces is part of the final phase of the regeneration of Ancoats, which will also see investment at Jersey Green (to commence 2025) and the public realm on Prussia Street (to commence in 2027).

Inner city parks

Ancoats Green will be the second city centre park after Mayfield Park, which was opened back in September 2022- the first new city centre park to be opened in more than 100 years.

Anna Marohn, Principal Landscape Architect at Planit, said, “The re-greening of Manchester is a hugely important project for Manchester City Council and Planit are proud to be part of the team.

Ancoats Green is another major step towards creating a blend of urban vibrance and the tranquillity of the natural world”.

There is also the temporary ‘garden in the sky’, which is owned by the National Trust and located on the Castlefield Viaduct.

Before their renovations, both the areas were derelict for years but now provide a green lung in the body of the city centre.

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