Castlefield Forum’s Roman Gardens plan resurfaces
Six years since proposals to improve the area were given the green light by Manchester City Council, the custodians of the site have reapplied for planning permission for the project.
Castlefield Forum wants to transform Manchester’s Roman Gardens – thought to be where the original settlement of Manchester sprang from around 2,000 years ago – into an “inspiring new gateway to Castlefield”.
The forum is working alongside design studio BDP to progress the project. Interventions at the site are aimed, generally, at smartening it up, and creating a more inviting and well-thought-out space for visitors.
The Roman Gardens masterplan was first unveiled in 2014. At the time, the forum, established in 2010, said it was “one of the saddest and most unloved areas” in Castlefield.
Two years later, the scheme was approved by the city council. Some improvement work has taken place in the intervening years and now the forum is seeking to carry out the scheme outlined in the original masterplan.
To learn more, search for application reference 136246/FO/2023 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
Plans to revitalise the Roman Gardens come hot on the heels of another public realm project close by.
The 125-year-old Castlefield Viaduct was recently brought back into use as a garden and heritage attraction for the first time in 50 years.
Needs a couple of towers I think
By Giant Skyscraper Fan
“one of the saddest and most unloved areas” says who? What do you think people do on their day to day, especially those on UC, go for a walk. Visit the site. It is not unloved or sad. You included this in the article? Moreover it has not been grafitied… If it were it truly would be unloved, but it’s not the case. With so many illegal unauthorised graffitying in Salford and MAN, the place cannot be earmarked as ‘unloved’.
By Rick Hazleton