Plans for ‘green heart’ of Ancoats revealed

Manchester City Council has launched a consultation for plans to improve public realm in the Poland Street zone with the help of Planit-IE and Civic Engineers.

Looking specifically at the section of Ancoats that’s bordered by the Rochdale Canal, Bengal Street, Butler Street, and Oldham Road, the plans include methods to promote active travel and improve public green space.

The proposals include ways to capitalise on the planning approval for Ancoats Mobility Hub, a new form of car park that prioritises cyclists and electric vehicles. The plans use the mobility hub and the adjacent Ancoats Green into the “centre of a new greenway” which would link together pedestrian footpaths, cycleways and green streets throughout the neighbourhood.

“Ancoats Green will become a green heart to the neighbourhood, creating a multi-functional space that fosters a sense of community”, according to the consultation documents. The green would have nearly two acres of open parkland, almost 8,000 sq ft of play space and a 2,000 sq ft dog park. There would also be communal gardens.

To help promote active travel, the proposals call for a redesign of streets in the neighbourhood to reduce both the volume and the speed of car traffic. This would be done by narrowing carriageways and using green infrastructure to create pinch points. Junctions would also be raised to further slow traffic and create some variation. The streets would have integrated cycleways too.

The proposals also provide a safe pedestrian and cycle greenway between Rochdale Canal and Portugal Street.

If approved, the Poland Street zone strategy will influence the design of future developments in the area.

Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig said that the council would be taking a “very considered approach” to developing this part of Ancoats, describing the focus on having future development be “underpinned by high-quality green space and ambitious placemaking to create a really attractive place to live and play”.

“This will be different to the harder street scenes in other parts of the area with Ancoats Green as the heart of the community, fewer cars and more opportunities for active walking and cycling – developing a neighbourhood that will support our journey to zero carbon,” she added later.

Consultation on the strategy closes 27 February. You can view consultation documents at manchester.gov.uk/consultations.