Council maintains Beswick momentum
A proposed masterplan for a 16-acre community campus in East Manchester focused on sport and education will be considered by senior councillors next week.
The Beswick Project Masterplan goes to Manchester City Council's executive on Wednesday 12 September. The project is led by Manchester City Council and supported by neighbouring Manchester City Football Club among other organisations.
Proposed elements include:
- Leisure centre with a public swimming pool and a multi-court space which could be used for a range of sports and community activities
- Connell Sixth Form College, 600 places, opens in purpose-built facility in September 2014
- Sports research and diagnostics institute, supporting high-performance athletes, backed by Manchester City FC, Sport England and other professional sports bodies.
- Improved local shops
- Changes to road layout, public realm and car parking infrastructure
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "The significance of this project in powering forward the regeneration of East Manchester should not be underestimated. We believe it will create a new centre of gravity for the area, providing new opportunities for education, leisure and jobs."
Executive members will be asked to endorse the draft masterplan as the basis for a six-week consultation which will seek the views of East Manchester residents and other interested parties ahead. This consultation will help shape the final content of a planning application for the various elements to be submitted before the end of the year.
The consultation would begin on 17 September and run up to an including Saturday 27 October. It will help shape a final masterplan which will then guide the content of a planning application for the various elements of the project, such as the college and swimming pool, which will be submitted before the end of this year.
The proposals cover 16-acres of Beswick and Openshaw West, taking in land around Grey Mare Lane and Alan Turing Way including the City Football Academy development site.
