New images show how patch of grassland will be…

New images show how patch of grassland will be transformed into 'heart of Ancoats'

Residents in one of Manchester's trendiest neighbourhoods are set to get something they've wanted for ages - a rejuvenated park.

Plans to build a ‘heart of Ancoats’ have been formally submitted by Manchester City Council, which it says ‘will act as the green focal point for the area’. Ancoats Green currently is a patch of grass around Wadeford Close, near to Oldham Road and Poland Street.

Revitalising Ancoats Green forms one element of the project to improve public space in the neighbourhood, along with Jersey Green and public realm on Prussia Street. In all, the project will cost £32.7million, including the money spent on the new Ancoats Mobility Hub, with £28.1m coming from Homes England and another £4.7m from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority through the Brownfield Housing Fund.

The improved Ancoats Green is set to open next year, with work on Jersey Green beginning in 2025, and Prussia Street two years after that. Part of the council’s motivation to overhaul the area was to improve Ancoats as a family area, said Bev Craig.

“Ancoats and New Islington is a great place to live, and we want to make the area even better with more and new green spaces, and a play park for children to reflect the growing number of families living there,” said the council leader. “We are committed to creating more and improved green space across the city and provide access to high quality parks close to where people live and work.

Ancoats Green, as viewed from above (Manchester City Council)

“Although this is a challenge in the city centre, this investment is a statement of our intent to deliver green space for our communities – and the proposals for Ancoats join a range of green investment either underway or completed. This includes the new Mayfield Park completed last year, Cotton Field Park in New Islington – which will open out to new green space at the former Central Retail Park – and Electric Park, the city’s first zero carbon green campus.

“Longer-term, the Victoria North regeneration programme will deliver 43 hectares of new interlocking green space from the city centre through to Collyhurst. These are examples of the long-term ambition we have for Manchester to create a greener, cleaner place to live – that celebrates active travel and provides opportunities for our residents to walk and cycle through attractive green neighbourhoods.”

The council says Ancoats Green will ‘be a community hub’, with new play areas — including accessible play equipment. Computer-generated images show spaces of grass on-site, and paths.

Those paths will be paved with flags from Albert Square that have been removed during the restoration of the Town Hall. Fruit trees, wildflowers, and wetlands, will also be installed.

The authority says that the majority of existing trees will stay in place, and for those which are removed, two will be planted in their place.

Jersey Green ‘will remain open with improved footpaths’, says the council, with ‘additional seating and better connections to Miles Platting and New Islington’ also being installed. Prussia Street will be created once the Jersey Street Bridge is removed.