Cigarettes, cigars and vaping will be 'banned' at Manchester city centre’s newest park, Mayfield, from next month. Bosses have announced the move - on World No Tobacco Day - in a drive to protect residents and visitors from the serious and life-threatening illnesses caused by smoking.
The six-and-a-half acre park, which opened last September, will become the most notable smoke-free space in the city centre to 'ban' lighting up.
The new rules come into effect from June 26, and will also help protect the burgeoning wildlife that have begun to call the area home after it was transformed into a green oasis from former industrial wasteland, sandwiched between Mancunian Way and a railway line.
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Park users who smoke will be asked to extinguish their cigarettes or cigars, and if they refuse to do so, will be asked to leave. However, no fines will be issued for people who don't abide by the new rules, as the change is not a law that can be enforced by public officials.
That's in part down to the fact Mayfield is not a council park, but instead a space the public can use which has been built by joint public-sector and private business partnership. Staff who work on site will have a 'friendly chat' with smokers to ask them to stop, and the Manchester Evening News understands the approach will not be 'heavy handed' or 'in your face'.
The move has been brought in for the benefit of everyone using the park, and to protect the wildlife in the area, according to Laura Percy, Development Director, for LandsecU+I, which is leading the regeneration of Mayfield on behalf of the Mayfield Partnership.
"The park offers a beautiful space in the heart of the city for people to enjoy with many benefits to their health and wellbeing," she said.
"Becoming a smoke-free park is a natural step that will only create a more enjoyable experience for many of our visitors and staff, as well as protect the park’s wildlife, waterways, and biodiversity. We will be working closely with Manchester City Council and NHS Greater Manchester to encourage and support people to refrain from smoking within the park when we go smoke-free next month."
NHS chiefs have commended the decision, describing tobacco as one of the major drivers of Manchester’s dire health inequality problem. Sarah Price, from NHS Greater Manchester, added: "As one of the greatest drivers of health inequalities, Greater Manchester has made enormous progress over the past few years to tackle tobacco harm and the impact of smoking across our most disadvantaged communities.
"As part of our commitment to achieving a smoke-free Greater Manchester by 2030, we continue to advocate for healthier, smoke-free environments, and welcome Mayfield Park as the most recent example of a cleaner, greener, healthier city region."
And Coun Thomas Robinson, the council's Executive Member for Health and Social Care, believes the move will also improve the health of other creatures nearby. He said: "We hope that this is the first of many smoke-free public spaces for people to enjoy in the city.
"We’re a city of firsts, so I know that together Mancunians can and will deliver this ambition - because we know it’s the right thing to do. Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable disease in Manchester and cigarette litter causes significant damage to the environment, so it is brilliant news that visitors will be able to enjoy this wonderful, outdoor green space in a smoke-free setting."
The park is just one element of a wave of development set to come to the area, with plans announced last November for a £400 million project to build two office buildings with 320,000 sq ft and a 581-space multi-storey car park, and more works expected.
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