CyanLines £100m walkways to resurrect Manchester’s waterways
Routes have been revealed for the 100-mile walking and wheeling network, which may eventually stretch from Dunham Massey as far as the foothills of the Pennines.
The £100m scheme has been proposed by a combination of public and private sector partners in the city.
It aims to revitalise Manchester’s parks, squares, rivers, canals, and viaducts by connecting them along a range of green corridors, eventually spanning across Greater Manchester.
CyanLines is expected to reach the 100-mile mark within a decade, though a timeframe for work to begin has not yet been set.
A degree of funding for the £100m scheme has been secured, but further efforts to raise cash for the project are needed.
CyanLines’ founding public sector partners are Manchester City Council, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the National Trust, and Factory International.
Private sector partners on board are Landsec, Bruntwood, Renaker, Urban Splash, FEC, Property Alliance Group, and Allied London.
CyanLines has said it expects to work with the Canal and River Trust to clean up the city’s waterways. Credit: CyanLines
The scheme’s co-founders are Urban Splash chair Tom Bloxham and Planit co-founder Pete Swift. It was first teased in early August, when a launch date was set.
Proposals are a mix of large-scale interventions, from constructing bridges and platforms to smaller, local changes, such as installing planters and greening streets.
The first four pilot CyanLines include routes from:
- Victoria Station and NOMA to Queens Park
- Mayfield, New Islington, and Ancoats Loop
- St Peter’s Square to Whitworth Park
- Irwell and Castlefield Loop
The pilot routes are expected to be the first of many. Credit: CyanLines
Pete Swift, co-founder and chief executive of Planit, said: “The first four CyanLines provide so much more than walkable and wheelable connections, linking the existing and planned excellent green and blue spaces across the city, to bring us all closer to nature and nature closer to us.
“The routes will be a starting point for a whole plethora of CyanLines projects, which will bring new opportunities for nature to thrive and be enjoyed.
“[CyanLines] will ultimately link up all Greater Manchester’s boroughs to bring our citizens and communities closer to nature and help drive a greener, healthier, and inclusive future.”
Routes could eventually run through from Dunham Massey, Oldham’s Northern Roots, Leigh, RHS Bridgewater, and Media City.
The plan would utilise the city’s existing assets, such as Mayfield Park, New Islington Marina, Ancoats Green, and the Castlefield Viaduct, and integrate them into the routes.
Funding for the project has been secured by Manchester and Salford City Councils from the National Trust, Natural England, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
CyanLines will also work closely with the Canal and River Trust, which is responsible for the condition of the River Irwell and Manchester’s canal network – though “nothing specific” has been agreed between the parties.
A spokesperson for CyanLines, said, “One of the CyanLines missions will be to look at our existing green and blue corridors and work with residents, landowners, and businesses to make them every bit as good as our city, residents, and visitors deserve, including working with partners around areas that need improvement.”
Tom Bloxham, project co-founder and chair of CyanLines, said: “Everyone wants more green space. Everyone wants to be able to walk to the end of Castlefield Viaduct. Everyone wants to be healthier and happier. Imagine more species and drifts of plants and wildflowers and allotments in the city centre and being able to walk one or 100 miles of continuous paths linking all our amazing spaces.”
Martyn Evans, creative director of Landsec, called the River Medlock, Salford Docks, and the Manchester Ship Canal “extraordinary natural resources” that would be “front and centre” of the proposals.
He added: “CyanLines will connect Manchester and wider boroughs through the beauty of its natural resources, creating immeasurable opportunities for people in our communities to live healthier, more fulfilling lifestyles.”
The routes will be for both pedestrians and wheelers. Credit: CyanLines
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, added: “Manchester is on a mission to make our city greener, investing in new parks and green spaces, including the likes of Mayfield, Ancoats Green, and the Castlefield Viaduct, in addition to our work to celebrate and open up our rivers and canals.
“We are a city with exciting and transformational plans for the future. We will be making even more exciting announcements in the months to come about what this means for our city.”
A volunteer group, ‘Friends of CyanLines’, would also be established to maintain and market the routes.
Manchester City Council is supporting and coordinating all CyanLines activity while it explores governance and delivery options.
In 2008, the now-extinct North West Development Agency proposed plans for a waterfront Irwell City Park, which then had a completion date of April 2010.
