Manchester design boss hangs up his boots

Manchester City Council's conservation manager is to retire after 37 years with the authority.

Qualified architect Warren Marshall started as a senior planner with the planning department's design team in 1971 and, since being promoted to the role of urban design and conservation manager, has played a vital part in 29 of the city's 35 conservation areas.

Marshall will now continue to work both in-house with Manchester University and in consultancy roles. He is passionate about architecture and will remain a member of the Manchester Society of Architects.

He said: "I am fiercely proud of Manchester as a city. I have always tried to get the best out of the local architects' creativity, rather than trying to impose a city style on them."

The 64-year old graduated with a first class honours degree in architecture and an MA in civic design at the University of Liverpool.

Born in Radcliffe, near Bury, north Manchester, Marshall has spearheaded some of Manchester's most notable conservation schemes including Castlefield's status of becoming a designated conservation area in 1979. Following this, three year's later, the area was bestowed with becoming the first urban heritage park.

Marshall's legacy will also be recognised through his involvement of regenerating St Anne's Square and for designing Manchester's 'Busy Bee' on bollards in the city centre. He has also played a key role in the protection and restoration of listed buildings.

Since he joined Manchester City Council listed buildings had risen from 80 to 1,000.