Withington Village due for revamp
A plan to revitalise Withington Village, with a focus on improving connectivity and public realm, is to go before Manchester City Council’s executive next week ahead of a period of consultation.
The framework for the South Manchester suburb, drawn up by planning consultant Nexus Planning and a project team including architect Broadway Malyan, planner WSP and conservation consultant BB Heritage Studio, aims to create improved public spaces and reduce the number of cars in the area.
Several of the changes proposed in the framework focus on creating an identity for the village through improvements around Copson Street and Wilmslow Road, the two main commercial roads in the area.
Options include increasing the number of independent businesses, upgrading public realm, improving crossings on Wilmslow Road and pedestrianising Copson Street.
An enhanced public space outside the library at Rutherford Place is also suggested, as is a review of the car parks in the area, which could be transformed to provide public space.
Existing shopfronts would also be restored under the plans.
The proposed improvements to Withington Village focus on four Rs: repositioning, reinventing, rebranding and restructuring.
The framework aims to build on the progress made by Withington Village Regeneration Partnership, a group of local stakeholders. Since forming in 2017, the group has established pop-up cultural activities in vacant buildings and organised the successful Withington Walls crowdfunding campaign, aimed at raising money to brighten up walls and shutters in the village with artwork.
