Stevenson Square could be fully pedestrianised under new plans, and Manchester residents are finally being asked for their opinions.
After the idea of pedestrianising the Northern Quarter hub was first proposed back in February 2021, a final consultation has been launched today, and it officially sets out Manchester City Council’s ambitions to make the square one of the most attractive destinations in the city.
Hundreds of people have already let the Council know what they wanted from Stevenson Square and the surrounding area through two earlier consultations.
But now, it’s at the final stages.
Through the first two exercises, the Manchester City Council said it learned that the main priorities for residents and businesses in the area were:
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The full pedestrianisation of Stevenson Square.
Having a space where people could sit and relax.
A safe, traffic-free space that they could move through.
Elements which reflected the character of the Northern Quarter – including space for outdoor dining, public art, and planted areas allowing a “connection to nature”.
So, with this in mind, the public is now being asked for their views on the Council’s proposals before improvement works begin in 2022.
Some of the proposed key changes to the area this time include the pedestrianisation of Stevenson Square – with new seating and bike racks installed, new trees planted, and sustainable draining systems (SUDS) installed – and a two-way cycle lane that will run through the square at the same level as the pavement, with tactile crossings put in place and new signage for cyclist wayfaring.
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Pedestrian and cyclist crossings will also be installed at the junctions of Oldham Street / Hilton Street, and Newton Street / Hilton Street.
Footpaths will be widened in the area to give more space over to pedestrians.
You told us how we could improve walking and cycling in Stevenson Square, and we listened. 🚴♀️
We've come up with a new proposal to make active travel in the area safer and easier.
Pay and display bays in Hilton Street will be removed.
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Some loading bays in the area will also be relocated to allow for these changes to be made, all while still retaining important space for businesses to trade.
Additional planting of trees and SUDS where possible will be added to the south-eastern side of Lever Street, as part of the City of Trees project, but the Council has said that this will be subject to future surveys to find “optimum space”, and make allowances for underground utilities such as gas, water, and electric.
“I’m incredibly pleased that we’re able to take the next step towards creating a more accessible and thriving Northern Quarter,” said Councillor Tracey Rawlins – Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Environment.
Stevenson Square could be fully pedestrianised under new plans, and Manchester residents are finally being asked for their opinions / Credit: Manchester City Council
“Making more space available for people to walk and cycle, as well as introducing more green space, were just two of the many priorities highlighted to us by residents and businesses throughout the consultations we’ve run [and] the experience of the past year, when more space was given over for pedestrians and cyclists, was incredibly positive and signalled a shift in how people want to interact and engage with the city of Manchester.
“I look forward to hearing people’s feedback on this final round of consultation and would encourage residents and businesses to take part.”
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The consultation is now live and running until Tuesday 21 December here.
Manchester streaming platform StreamGM unveils four-part creative industry careers podcast
Thomas Melia
A new four-partpodcast by StreamGM featuring some of Greater Manchester’s top creatives has launched with the aim of powering creative careers.
Produced by Rebecca Swarray, a.k.a. ‘RebeccaNeverBecky’ – the founder of the Manchester events and arts collective – this podcast is designed to “ignite and elevate creative careers in music.”
Swarray deep dives into the current Manc music scene and beyond with the help of fellow insiders who vary upon each episode.
There are four parts in this latest series and there’s lots to cover, especially in an industry that’s ever-changing and ever-challenging.
Some of the guests and speakers you can expect to listen to on ‘ICAM’ (In Conversations and Masterclasses)Credit: StreamGM/The Manc Group
Listeners can expect to learn all about ‘Women Behind The Music’ as part of the In Conversations and Masterclasses series with Sophie Bee, Sara Garvey and Kat Brown.
The next episode delves into another key music industry area, ‘Promoters, Venues And Events’, which is broken down by Baz Plug One, Strutty, Tashadean Wood and Liv McCafferty.
‘Artist Development And Management’ features Karen Boardman, Karen Gabay, Damian Morgan, and Via Culpan deep in discussion.
The final episode in this four-part series is ‘Videography And Photography In The Creative Industries’, which sees Johan Reitan, Alice Kanako and Ahmani Vidal talking all things visual.
These four features will be an incredible resource for any creative talents as it put together by professionals for upcoming professionals of any age from any background, race, gender and walk of life.
After all, that’s what is all about, right?
Abbreviated to ‘ICAM’, the podcast is certainly one to check out, with for aspiring artist managers, producers, photographers, promoters—anyone driven to make their mark in music and events.
These podcast sessions understand industry challenges, explore career journeys, creative influences, crisis management and lots more creative field concerns.
You can find the first episode in full down below:
The first episode of the new limited StreamGM podcast.
This run of shows is the second instalment by StreamGM: Greater Manchester’s phenomenal streaming platform dedicated to all things music, nightlife and culture.
Whether you’re a budding creative arts talent or just curious to find out insights into this wonderful innovative industry, you can listen to all the episodes from the series directly on StreamGM HERE.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester music news, another very special event is kicking off very soon:
Featured Images — Publicity Picture (Supplied)/The Manc Group
City Centre
One of Manchester’s oldest surviving Victorian mills to be repurposed into ‘distinctive’ rental homes
Emily Sergeant
A multi-million funding deal has been agreed to repurpose one of Manchester’s oldest surviving Victorian mills.
After £55 million plans to reimagine Talbot Mill into a 10-storey apartment block began back in May of last year, social impact developers Capital&Centric have now agreed a £37 million deal with Paragon Bank to finance the restoration of the historic mill and repurpose it into 190 new distinctive properties for rent.
Built in 1855 overlooking the canal, the imposing red-brick mill on Ellesmere Street in the Castlefield neighbourhood was the product of Manchester’s textile boom.
One of the city’s last massive mills to be restored, it was Talbot that spearheaded the rapid transformation of the Cornbrook area from undeveloped land to a powerful industrial hub in the late 19th century, before going on to dominate the local cotton industry in the early 1900s.
It was even used as a mushroom farm in the 1980s, while more recently, it has been the set of a period drama and a massive art exhibition.
But when the restoration is complete, over half the development will be newly-built and will offer residents of the nearly 200 ‘distinctive’ apartments a lush hidden garden, with plenty of green spaces to meet and hang out, while still managing to celebrate the mill’s past and retain loads of original features.
Capital&Centric is developing Talbot Mill as an investment, which it will retain for rent once finished.
This is something the developers have already done successfully on a number of sites in recent years, especially in its lengthy run of restoring Manchester’s iconic listed buildings and mixing the old in with the new.
One of Manchester’s oldest surviving Victorian mills will be repurposed into ‘distinctive’ rental homes / Credit: Capital&Centric
“We love to restore and repurpose historic buildings,” explained Tom Wilmot, who is the joint managing director at Capital&Centric.
“But as one of Manchester’s oldest mills, Talbot Mill is something a bit different, so we’re buzzing to be bringing it back to its former glory, [as] it had a huge role to play in the industrial revolution in the city and now it gets to be part of the city’s future.
“We’re retaining as many features as we can, to keep the history of the mill alive and so that our residents can enjoy becoming custodians of the past whilst enjoying all the trappings of modern-day living.”
Emily Sergeant -
1st December 2021 
