Manchester launches action plan for Gay Village

Maintaining, preserving, and improving the LGBTQ+ quarter is the focus of the city council’s report on the future of the area.

The Gay Village can be found between Portland Street, Princes Street, Whitworth Street, and Minshull Street in Manchester. It is home to 1,700 people and boasts 636,000 sq ft of offices and another 364,000 sq ft of retail floorspace – as well as a vibrant night life economy.

Consultancy HATCH developed Manchester’s Gay Village Action Plan in partnership with the city council, having conducted an initial strategic review of the area in 2020. The plan builds on the feedback from the review – as well as newer conversations and consultations with stakeholders – to outline three themes of focus: management, diversification, and activation.

Together, these themes explore how to best use existing assets as well as how to expand the area’s local economy without harming the Village’s vibe.

These themes lead to a variety of short-, medium-, and long-term actions. These include the development of a neighbourhood management plan to tackle street cleanliness, a review of CCTV coverage, and a push to identify potential mural locations.

Other action items include replacing damaged trees along Canal Street, creating a heritage trail, and a promise to engage with developers working within the Gay Village borders to ensure their applications safeguard the area’s character. There is also a proposal to explore using 103 Princess Street as a community events space and to put a ‘Rainbow Bee’ logo on all the bins in the area.

“The Gay Village is not only an incredibly vibrant, welcoming and safe space for our LGBTQ+ community but is a living monument to the progress made by those who fought against bigotry and hatred, and those who dedicated their entire lives to building a more tolerant and inclusive society,” said Manchester City Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig.

“I am immensely proud of the Village and as leader want to make sure that its character and history is preserved for generations to come,” she continued.

“Through the launch of this report, we hope to harness the energy of this community alongside other stakeholders and partners in the community, shaping any future development so that it fits the needs of the people who live, work and spend time in the Village.”

HATCH associate director David Watson stressed that the action plan is a living document, one that will no doubt spark a few discussions down the line. That’s okay, he said. The action plan’s purpose is to collate and outline the priority interventions that are needed for the area – not to be a rigid ‘to do’ list.

“It’s a starting point,” he told Place North West. “It will be an evolving plan that lead council officers and stakeholders will continue to work in partnership together on.”

The Gay Village Action Plan is not the only report HATCH has been working on in the city region. The global consultancy’s Manchester office is crafting the social sustainability strategy for Mayfield and is also part of the project team for the Holt Town neighbourhood development framework.