Public views invited on £1bn Northern Gateway
Manchester City Council and developer FEC have launched the consultation process on the £1bn Northern Gateway, with a series of events due to be held during August and September for the public to give feedback on the 15,000-home plan.
A strategic regeneration framework for the development, which stretches from Victoria Station to Queens Park via Collyhurst, was first published last month after being announced at the MIPIM property conference in Cannes in March this year.
Split into seven neighbourhoods, the framework outlines residential-led development starting around Victoria Station and following the passage of the River Irk, incorporating Sandhills Park, Collyhurst, the Smedley Dip, and New Cross.
Overall, it is set to deliver 15,000 homes alongside commercial, leisure, retail, transport, and green space, with a “green corridor” run between Queens Park and Angel Meadow.
Speaking to Place North West, FEC’s project director Tom Fenton also said there was a potential for a New York High Line-style park at Red Bank viaduct; a public square around the Marble Arch pub, and a “Brewery Quarter” near Victoria Station.
The consultation will run between August and September, followed by any feedback being weaved into the framework by FEC’s design team throughout October. The final framework is likely to go to the council executive for final approval in November.
The consultation events are:
- Wednesday 15 August from 11am to 3:30pm at Yes Community Centre, 35-39 Southchurch Parade, Collyhurst, M40 7GE
- Thursday 16 August from 2:30pm to 7pm at PLANT @ NOMA, Redfern Building, Dantzic Street, Manchester, M4 4AH
- Wednesday 22 August from 2:30pm to 7:30pm at Church of the Saviour, Eggington Street, Collyhurst, Manchester, M40 7RN
- Tuesday 4 September from 2:30pm to 7pm at Abbott Community Primary School, Livesey Street, Manchester, M40 7PR
- Wednesday 5 September from 11am to 4pm at The Federation, Federation House, 2 Federation Street, Manchester, M4 4BF
- Thursday 6 September from 11am to 4pm at Aldbourne Close Retirement Scheme, 20 Aldbourne Close, Collyhurst, M40 8NE
The consultation documents can be accessed here, and the full framework document can also be viewed here.
The professional team features masterplanner Farrells; Turner & Townsend; landscape architect Planit-IE; Arup; Buro4; and planner GVA How.
Fenton said: “FEC is genuinely proud of its proposals and its shared vision with the city council to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime transformation of north Manchester for current and future generations. We share the council’s desire to inform and involve as many people as possible and would encourage those who live and work in the areas involved to make their views known by joining us at the public consultation events.”
Cllr Suzanne Richards, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “We want to be incredibly ambitious with the Northern Gateway project. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring a transformational regeneration programme to north Manchester. It is vital that local residents are central to shaping the vision for the area. That is why we want to ensure Manchester people are brought into the conversation at this early stage, to get feedback from the people who live in the area and the city.”
“I would encourage as many people as possible to attend a drop-in session and fill in the consultation questionnaire. We want to get this right, and to do this we need your opinions, your hopes for the area, and your concerns. They will be used to shape the plans for the Northern Gateway over the next two decades.”