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 set for its busiest weekend of the year with pop-up Park and Rides to open
Emily Sergeant
Pop-up Park and Ride facilities are set to open as Manchester prepares for what’s expected to be its busiest weekend of the year.
The festive season in the run up to Christmas always sees more people flock to the city centre than usual, but this weekend will likely be even busier than expected, as not only are Manchester Christmas Markets still in full swing, but there are also a number of gigs, live festive shows, and major sporting events coinciding with this.
So in a weekend that sees legends gigging and the Manchester Derby take place, as you would expect, thousands are predicted to flock to Manchester city centre and Etihad Campus.
Manchester Christmas Markets are in full swing and Paul McCartney will be at Co-op Live this weekend / Credit: The Manc Group | Wikimedia Commons
Because of this, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is taking action and encouraging people to dodge the likely congestion and use public transport instead where possible – with pop-up Park and Rides set to be introduced for weekend shoppers and fun-seekers who do want or need to drive.
On Saturday and Sunday, Booth Street West Car Park D (M15 6PD) – which will have 965 parking spaces available – will be free for customers travelling to the city centre by bus, and then again on Sunday, the same car park will be free for those attending Paul McCartney at Co-op Live.
Your ticket to the gig must be shown on entry, before a dedicated shuttle bus then takes you from the car park to the Etihad Campus.
Disney On Ice will be hosting four shows at AO Arena this weekend / Credit: Supplied
Shuttle buses – which are only available on the Sunday – will depart from Higher Cambridge Street and run to Co-op Live and back every 15 mins from 4pm until midnight.
Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground (Talbot Road, Stretford, M16 0PX) will also have 500 parking spaces available for Metrolink customers on Sunday, but you must show a valid pre-booked tram ticket to park there.
On Sunday [15 Dec], we’re offering free parking at Emirates Old Trafford to help relieve congestion in the city.
The Park and Ride is available to customers with a valid tram ticket purchased on the app, at a ticket machine or via contactless.
Anyone else planning to drive across the weekend may also want to consider using one of the permanent Park and Ride sites and complete their journey on foot or by public transport, and you can find more information and the locations of these sites on the Bee Network website here.
Tram capacity has been increased for the festive season, with every available tram running until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The V1 and 36 bus services now also run 24 hours a day.
Other late-running buses on the Bee Network from Manchester include the 43 service to Manchester Airport, the 86 to Sale, and the 142 to East Didsbury.
There’s some FREE festive craft workshops taking place at MediaCity this Christmas
Thomas Melia
A handful Christmas-inspired workshops are happening down at MediaCity, and lots of them are free to take part in.
Starting tomorrow (11 December), anyone who’s looking to get artsy in the run up to the big day can try their hand at three different Christmas activities, and have a go at making and creating items to keep and treasure forever.
There’s a free ‘Bauble Bar’ where you can learn how to make those brilliant hanging ornaments that make your tree gorgeous.
This workshop is suitable for all skill sets, which means you don’t have to be the next Da Vinci to design one of these little trinkets, as a friendly host will be walking round the class to help everyone make a beautiful creation to take home with them.
The second free event is a Christmas card making workshop, where there will be stationery provided for you to create some cute and snazzy designs, so get ready to freestyle your own drawings if you’re confident, or hone your craft by following the range of patterns and templates that will be on-hand for you to trial.
This final crafty class gives visitors the opportunity to create a two-layer wreath that’s sure to become part of your annual festive decor.
The ‘Christmas Wreath Making’ class provides all the materials you could need, but due to the cost of this, this isn’t a free event and tickets are a reasonable £10 instead.
/ Credit: | Ksenia Ya | Jonathan Borba (via Unsplash & Pexels)
All of these fun Christmas activities are happening at innovative event space, Hot House, which is designed to host creative workshops like these festive-themed crafts.
Although the ‘Bauble Bar’ and the ‘Christmas Card Making Workshop’ are both free, booking a ticket to secure your space is still required.
Emily Sergeant -
1st December 2021 
