Consultation to open on Piccadilly Gardens plans
Legal & General, in partnership with Manchester City Council, is set to hold a public exhibition next week to gather views on detailed proposals for improvements to Piccadilly Gardens.
Earlier this month, L&G announced a £10m plan that includes redeveloping the Pavilion building, creating a new covered area of public realm, delivering restaurants and a new coffee outlet, and removing the unpopular wall.
The public will have a chance to view detailed plans and provide feedback on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 December between 10am and 4pm in the area next to the Media Lounge on the ground floor of the Town Hall Extension.
The joint public consultation is being held by the council and L&G.
The proposals include:
- Removing the existing Pavilion building and feature wall, and replacing them with two new Pavilion buildings linked by a covered area of new public space for year-round use
- Improving lighting and the design of the current Pavilion building and Gardens to improve natural surveillance. Greater Manchester Police have been consulted on the design
- Creating extra seating throughout the Gardens for public use
- Introducing extra soft landscaping including new shrubs and plants
- Addressing damage to pavements and grass by raising the grassed areas and re-laying pedestrian thoroughfares
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Piccadilly Gardens is an incredibly well-used public space which more than 16 million people a year pass through or spend time in.
“We believe the proposed scheme, which takes into account public feedback, provides viable and sustainable change for the better and is compatible with the Gardens’ role as a major thoroughfare used by hundreds of thousands of people a week as well as a destination in its own right.”
The detailed plans will also be available to view online from Friday 2 December here: piccadilly-gardens.co.uk.
Feedback can be submitted to info@piccadilly-gardens.co.uk before 23 December.
