Council prepares ground for New Cross resi

Manchester City Council’s executive will consider a new public realm strategy for New Cross when it meets on Wednesday 26 July.

Presently in fragmented ownership and typified by older industrial buildings and surface parking, New Cross sits within the Northern Gateway area, on which Far East Consortium is to lead the development of 10,000 homes.

The part of New Cross that falls under the remit of this study by Aecom is bordered by Swan Street to the south, Oldham and Rochdale Roads to the east and west respectively and Thompson Street to the north. A neighbourhood development framework for the area was adopted in 2015.

The area has seen little new development apart from West Properties’ 249-apartment Skyline scheme around a decade ago. But with the Northern Quarter now filling up and Manchester Life rapidly bringing forward sites in Ancoats across Oldham Road, the council is keen to prepare the ground. The AC by Marriott hotel, now under construction, is expected to be the first of several key schemes in the area.

Aecom proposes resurfacing of both pavements and roads, along with introducing more trees and greening as the environment is made more pedestrian-friendly. The report stresses that contributions from developers will be essential in making public realm improvements a reality, but says that “a level of internal capital resources will be required to deliver a programme of enabling works”.

Areas of note within the report are an improved junction where Swan Street meets Great Ancoats Street at the foot of Oldham Road. The report also proposes that a speed limit of 20mph is introduced within the zone.