Muse, Bury submit plans for £100m+ Prestwich regen
After months of public consultation, the joint venture has firmed up its proposals for the redevelopment of the Longfield Centre and is aiming to be on site before the end of the year.
Muse and Bury Council have submitted a hybrid application to transform six acres of Prestwich town centre
The plans include:
- Up to 210 homes across three blocks rising to seven storeys
- A 30,000 sq ft community hub including a library, flexible community space, and the opportunity for a health centre
- A village square with space for pop-up events like markets, food festivals, art exhibitions, and live performances
- A 6,500 sq ft market hall providing smaller spaces for local retailers that will include a food hall for local food operators and communal seating that spills out onto the village square
- Around 20,000 sq ft of flexible retail and leisure spaces, as well as a gym
- Improved public realm and removal of the existing fountain
- A 275-space travel hub/car park.
The project team features Asteer Planning, Jon Matthews Architects, Planit, and Civic Engineers.
To learn more, search for planning reference 70449 on Bury Council’s planning portal.
Stuart Rogers, director of project management at Muse, said the submission of plans was a “major moment” for the project.
He added that the plans had been shaped through months of consultation with locals.
“We’ve been blown away by the response from the local community and their passion,” he said.
“They had some really useful ideas and feedback, much of which we’ve been able to incorporate into the plans.”
Rogers pointed to specific examples of how the consultation had helped the project team craft the proposals.
“One of the things people love about Prestwich is the many independent businesses already here and this really came through during the consultation. We decided to increase the amount of retail space by removing one of the residential buildings and added a larger market hall to provide smaller spaces for local retailers to thrive and grow.
“We’re also looking at how we can provide temporary space during construction for businesses so that the village can continue to be a bustling place for food, drink and shopping. The idea of the village square was also really popular so we’ve increased that in size and also included more green spaces and planting throughout the site.”
Bury Council and Muse formed the Prestwich Regeneration joint venture in October 2022 to drive the project forward.
It is expected that a decision on the plans will be made in spring 2024 with construction starting in mid-late 2024.
This is great news for Prestwich and I really look forward to this completing. I find it really positive that they’re trying to ensure there will be a continued space for the existing businesses. We absolutely don’t want to lose the gems like Greens (one of the best general stores in GM), Keg, Cast & Bottle (one of the best bottle/shops craft beer bars in GM) and Masa (the amazing new bakery that honestly bakes some of the best breads in GM).
I also really like the sound of the Market & increased retail. I think this market will survive better than the ones in Sale & Stretford as South Manchester is quite saturated with such places (Didsbury, Chorlton & Altrincham being big competitors) but North Manchester really doesn’t have much else (though I really hope Radcliffe’s wonderful market hall can survive)
By EOD
This is looking really good, and Muse/Council do seem to have taken feedback on board.
The parking is always going to be an issue – some people take loud objection to having any of it, but the car park is always full during the day. Perhaps there is a debate to be had about whether the Metrolink Park & Ride element would be better located outside the town centre, but there isn’t an obvious solution that isn’t just telling people not to drive.
There does need to be an effort to make sure the useful cheaper shops like Iceland and the big discount hardware shop – don’t get displaced for more F&B, as the stuff in Prestwich already doesn’t provide much animation during the day, and we are already starting to see that foodhalls aren’t viable everywhere.
By Anonymous
So 275 parking spaces down from 338 (Bury Council website info) Good thinking for a start, without looking any further into it.
By Geoff
Whilst long overdue, the standard of the new architecture is poor for such a premium location. Prestwich is sought after and needs careful thought; this has been on the table for 15+ years.
By Observer
@Anonymous, there is a difference to the foodhalls elswhere which haven’t done so well and here. A big one. Sale & Stretford had direct competition from Altrincham, Didsbury & Chorlton. Neither Sale or Stretford had a significant hospitality scene either. Prestwich is pretty unique in the whole of north Manchester, so there is no direct competition (outside of the small Radcliffe Market)
As for Iceland, there are alternative budget supermarkets nearby, including Aldi and Lidl and to be fair, Tesco prices are not that far off Iceland these days.
By EOD
Don’t think 275 spaces for cars is enough, l think 600 spaces would be better.
By Melvyn Brown
EOD – No, Iceland is pretty unique in terms of the breadth of the range, range of price points, and you can do most of your shop there if you want, frozen being a very good way of keeping food costs down if your electricity doesn’t cut out when meter credit runs out. We do most of our shopping between the Iceland and the either of the Aldis, but neither is a replacement for the other (the Farmfoods is grim).
And the case for foodhalls isn’t just about suggested demand – the wider business model can be complex to say the least, including apportioning costs, finding and sustaining right mix of traders, keeping enough of them open outside peak times, and general viability when start-ups find they aren’t making enough/the business can’t be scaled up to expand or pay for staff beyond the owners (I’ve worked on projects that include them, or where not viable).
Covered and ideally heated event space suitable for a range of events including pop-ups possibly the way to go.
By Anonymous
I agree, Greater Manchester should be pushing more boundaries with architecture now. Especially Prestwich.
By Anonymous
Just do it. Needs it.
Prestwich resident.
By Anonymous
There’s actually two markets already in “North Manchester” – Harpurhey, run by MCC (plenty of hi-vis workwear and several milky coffee outlets), and the mysterious and never advertised Conran Street, also Harpurhey, Tuesday and Saturday, which used to have a reputation for dodgy DVDs.
2024 Love Your Local Market fortnight runs from 17th May to 1 June this year! #LYLM2024
By Rotringer
The car park is ridiculous, dig down and spend some money on it.
The traffic it’s gonna cause during construction and afterwards will be awful.
Can tell no one on the council or planning team lives in the effected area.
By P. Towner
It would be nice to have some arches on buildings again. At least on the ground floor, to break up the dull squareness of the design.
By Anonymous
Great scheme and really hope it happens but all plans need political will funding to become reality. Agree with reduced car parking provision but the whole of prestwich needs some serious attention in terms of pavement and footpath maintenance and cycling provision to encourage people to leave their cars at home.
By David W
Are the 7 story eyesores going to have underground parking like the radius monstrosity or are they too going to be fighting for parking spaces in the area.
By Anonymous
Hopefully keep most of the decent shops that are already here, people need local shops within easy reach and decent prices .
By Anon
Please can we ensure that the council keeps the streets clean and tidy. All of the new restaurants and takeaways are beginning to cause alot of rubbish on the streets.
By Anonymous
Looks and sounds amazing. Just what Prestwich needs.
By Carol Murray
There are ca 700 (free of charge) car parking spaces at present, split between the longfield and fairfax road, and these spaces are in high demand by workers, shoppers, and healthcare patients. I personally doubt that many of the businesses that have invested in Prestwich are pleased about what this council and its corporatist partner are doing. Having seen the design of what this “transport hub” is supposed to look like, it is a desecration of the character of the village, directly adjacent to a church. My feedback was not supportive of the removal of parking and addition of high-rise flats, and unsurprisingly it has been ignored.
By Anonymous
@EOD Anon is right, the Stretford Foodhall was always busy from lunchtime onwards but it’s a complicated model. It was a very popular establishment.
It’s not all about the footfall that forced closure (although the ongoing works won’t have helped – a necessary evil) it’s equally to do with the utility costs and the business rates which were sky high.
I was speaking to one of the traders in there who said one of small units was available but the business rates alone were £300 a week. Multiply that by possibly 5 or 10 for the Foodhall size and you can see how expensive it is.
By Sibt
I presume the travel hub carpark will be a multistory like Whitefield. if so then they could make it so another floor can be added at a later date
By Gray