The £1.5bn masterplan to create a new sustainable neighbourhood in Manchester

The 6.5-acre Mayfield Park is the first step in the £1.5bn Mayfield masterplan which is creating a new sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood in the city centre – and leading the way helping the city achieve its net zero targets.

What was once a thriving network of print and dye works, breweries and bathhouses is now home to diverse range of 120 mature and semi-mature trees, 120,000 plants and shrubs, a vast public lawn, tranquil riverside walkways and the city’s largest play area. With future phases of development due to start imminently, the project will see jobs, communities and economic development return to previously forgotten part of Manchester’s industrial heritage.

Mayfield Park sits alongside a range of historic buildings, including the landmark former station on Fairfield Street, which are being retained and redeveloped as part of the wider regeneration plans. The vast depot building has already been transformed into a new cultural venue, Depot Mayfield, which has helped to bring more than one million visitors to Mayfield since autumn 2019, following more than 30 years of decline.

“We believe in the power of this sort of space to be the green heart of our communities,” said Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council.

“Which is why quality public areas should be considered a fundamental to development in Manchester. We know that access to green spaces have huge health and well-being benefits and I hope Mayfield Park becomes an oasis for our residents.

“This park marks the beginning of a long-term transformation for this part of Manchester – starting with the green space as a statement of intent about what we want to achieve as part of this highly sustainable, low carbon programme of regeneration. Along with the clear commitment we have to becoming a zero carbon city by 2038.”

Overall, the Mayfield regeneration scheme – one of the largest in the UK at 24-acres – is set to transform the gateway brownfield site next to the city’s mainline Piccadilly Station, into a stunning mixed used neighbourhood, delivering 1,500 homes, 1.6m sq ft of market-leading commercial space and 300,000 sq ft of retail and leisure facilities.

In 2020, the UK Government pledged £23m of investment from its Getting Building Fund – one of the largest investments in any single project – to Mayfield Park.  This investment, delivered through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, is part of the Government’s strategy to support ‘shovel ready’ schemes that will help to drive economic recovery following the COVID-19 crisis.