The ‘exceptionally successful’ Castlefield Viaduct sky park is set to stay open until the end of next year.
National Trust bosses are bidding to extend the lifespan of the park, which opened last summer on a 12-month trial, by another 18 months. Should the plan be successful, the facility will remain open until December 2024.
Currently, the Viaduct is open on a pilot basis, in order to get feedback from visitors to inform a more permanent installation on the railway structure.
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“Since opening in July 2022, Castlefield Viaduct has been exceptionally successful, with demand far exceeding our original expectations, thereby limiting our capacity to accommodate visitors,” a planning statement from the Trust said.
“We are therefore of the view that allowing additional time for this initial trial phase of the development would enable us to welcome more visitors, and in doing so obtain a greater depth and diversity of views to inform the Phase Two permanent scheme (which will be subject to a new planning application in the future - work is already underway to prepare for this).”
The sky park reopens this weekend (February 18) after its winter closure, complete with two new community gardens. It’s also made a major change to make it easier to visit.
From Saturday, visitors will be able to turn up at the Viaduct between 1pm onwards ‘to explore it at their own pace’ - doing away with the need to pre-book a free ticket due to weight restrictions on the viaduct’s Victorian metal. Now, however, people can turn up in the afternoons and wait for entry.
"By introducing a new way for visitors to explore the viaduct at their own leisure, we hope that even more people will benefit from this green space in the heart of Manchester and support us in shaping its future,” Rebecca Alexander, visitor operations & experience manager, said. “The feedback we gathered in the first four months of being open to the public revealed that virtually all our visitors would like to see the viaduct become a permanent feature of Manchester.”
Entry onto the structure will remain free when it reopens to the public. The aforementioned walk-up slot is from 1pm onwards, but the booking system will remain in place for guided walk visits between 11.00am to 12.30pm.
The National Trust also says there are also plans to host events throughout the spring and summer, including new family tours both on and off the viaduct, yoga, planting events, lunch-hour talks on weekdays and community-led plays.
Duncan Laird, Head of Urban Places said: “By seeking an extension of the Castlefield Viaduct project to late 2024 and having unticketed afternoons as part of our new opening hours, we hope to give more local people the chance to connect with this green space in the heart of Manchester. We’ve been delighted with the public feedback we’ve received since opening, with the majority of our visitors wanting to see the viaduct become a permanent feature.
"Our task now is to continue gathering feedback that’ll shape the project for the future and to raise the funds that will make this a reality for the people of Manchester in 2024. We can’t do this alone and want people to get involved, whether that’s by donating, becoming a corporate sponsor or simply just visiting this unique place.
"We hope to hear more about the planning application at the end of March.”
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