Could Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens be blossoming into something great? Well, today (October 17), Manchester City Council has revealed plans to significantly improve the appearance of Piccadilly Gardens and people’s experience of the city centre space. The council says this will be the first major step in a two-part journey towards a wider transformation of the busy area in the years to come, making Piccadilly Gardens an attractive green space.
The immediate plan will see Manchester City Council lead a wide-ranging package of improvements to Piccadilly Gardens, making it more colourful, vibrant, and inviting in the months ahead. Measures range from improving safety, enhancing CCTV and security, to decluttering and revamping the public realm around the Gardens. Another priority is making Piccadilly Gardens feel safer, so there will be an increased Greater Manchester Police presence in and around it, along with a multi-agency ‘base’ in Piccadilly Gardens to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
Newly-released images by LDA Design show a more vibrant space which will be colourful around the seasons, with more flowers and a larger grassed area, and investment into the much-used play equipment – making for a more open Piccadilly Gardens with greater scope for events ranging from organised entertainment to picnics. The images are purely indicative, and Manchester residents will be involved in helping to refine them. For instance, during Manchester Flower Festival, people can vote on their favourite blooms to feature.
Beyond this immediate plan, the Council has been working with partners on exciting next steps for Piccadilly Gardens and the wider area in the coming years, including a multi-million pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.
What do the immediate improvement plans include?
The immediate package of measures includes:
- Putting the ‘Gardens’ back in Piccadilly Gardens – more trees, planting and floral displays.
- A strengthened police and multi-agency presence – A new police team based in Piccadilly Gardens, building on the successes of operations and providing a reassuring ongoing presence. GMP will announce more details in due course. This element will also include having an enhanced presence of council, police and other agencies in Piccadilly Gardens to improve its management and ensure any issues which arise can be dealt with. In the first instance, the Community Partnership van will be used for this.
- Upgraded CCTV and improved lighting – with more coverage and sharper images to increase the deterrence of crime and anti-social behaviour.
- A new space for family-friendly events – removing the old, unreliable fountains and using the new space created to hold enjoyable events and activities throughout the year. A new, flexible structure will be built on part of the space to help support events.
- Better use of space -Ripping out the unsightly concrete wall and raised planters to create a more open and better functioning space.
- Refreshing the existing children’s play area – transforming the space created by the removal of the wall and raised planters and creating a new playground for younger children. This will be of the same quality as recently-created new play areas, such as those at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green, but designed specifically to suit Piccadilly Gardens.
- Ensuring a constant stream of family-friendly events – building on the success of this summer’s MCR Live 25 celebration and the Christmas Markets, creating a year-round programme of events and activities to animate the area.
The first actions will begin quickly, with physical works which do not require planning permission starting as quickly as possible once the Christmas Markets – which return to Piccadilly Gardens in November – have finished.
“The beginning of a bright new chapter for Piccadilly Gardens.”
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We want Piccadilly Gardens to be a space Mancunians are proud of once again – and that’s what we are determined to do.
“Manchester City Centre has grown and changed, and there are lots of exciting things happening in our city. We need Piccadilly Gardens to up its game and play its part in welcoming millions of people into our city every year.
“People tell us they want it cleaned up, brightened up, invested in and made to feel safer. It’s still called Piccadilly Gardens and we’ve heard loud and clear from Manchester people that they want its appearance to do more to reflect that name. We’re going to give them more greenery and more flowers as part of a co-ordinated range of measures to improve the look and feel of the area.
“We know there are aspects of Piccadilly Gardens that no longer work – in the case of the fountains quite literally – and we’re determined to ensure the space looks better and feels better. Ripping out the defunct walls, opening up the Gardens and investing in improvements.
“We’ll also be focused on ensuring the area is lively for all the right reasons with a programme of great, family-friendly events, from this year’s Christmas Markets onwards.
“Crucially, this plan is not just about what the Council can deliver but a multi-agency blueprint to address issues with crime and anti-social behaviour, and in invest in other sustainable improvements. All these elements will work together.
“This plan, getting underway quickly, is the beginning of a bright new chapter for Piccadilly Gardens.”