The plans for a new green space in Manchester have been given the green light by the local council. Major investment at Ancoats Green is now underway to create a much-improved city centre park space as part of the closing chapter of the regeneration of Ancoats that began more than 20 years ago, alongside the redevelopment of the retail site adjacent to Cotton Field Park at New Islington Marina to make a new city centre park.
The proposals, which were approved by Manchester City Council last week (February 20), feature a new government digital campus and a new city centre park space. The campus aims to bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills and create significant employment opportunities and economic benefits in the region.
The new government digital campus will use five acres of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats, which was once home to the Toys R Us store in Manchester. This new office complex in the city will bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills. Once complete, the campus will be home to around 7,000 civil servants, creating significant opportunities for employment and wider economic development.
The council and the Government Property Agency (GPA) held a joint consultation around emerging plans for the former retail site in August and September last year, inviting local residents, businesses and other stakeholders to help guide proposals to create the new government digital campus – delivered by the GPA – and a new city centre park space, delivered by the council.
The new park space in Ancoats will help meet the need for quality, attractive green space in the city centre – which will also open up access to the existing Cotton Field Park and Ancoats Marina. The site will accommodate new walking and cycling routes, helping to link to other city centre active travel investment in Ancoats, Northern Quarter and out towards the Etihad Campus.
A central lawn and plaza will create a green buffer to Great Ancoats Street, with various tiered gardens navigating the different level changes across the site, alongside play areas, paths and tranquil areas to escape the noise of the city. The park has been designed to make sure that it is fully accessible.
Ancoats Green will act as the green focal point for the Manchester city centre area, with walking and cycling routes from Poland Street through to Butler Street, and from Portugal Street to the Rochdale Canal. The Green will have a highly sustainable design, with at least 30% of new surfaces will be made from reclaimed materials to create a permeable drainage system , and granite paving stones removed from Albert Square (as part of the ongoing Our Town Hall project) will be lovingly reused at Ancoats Green, celebrating the city’s story and reducing the carbon footprint of the development.
Jersey Green and Prussia Street will begin their transformations in 2025 and 2027 respectively, and will remain open with improved footpaths, additional seating and better connections to Miles Platting and New Islington, and the Prussia Street greenway will link the Rochdale canal with Ancoats Green via Jersey Street.