Manchester to get ANOTHER new city centre park as plans get green light

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Manchester Digital Campus

A CGI of Manchester Digital Campus / Credit: Manchester City Council

You wait 100 years for a new city centre park, and then two come along one after the other.

That’s right, merely a few years after Mayfield Park finally opened to the Manchester public after more than a century without one, it’s now been revealed that another park is planned for the city centre, as the Government has given the green light to a major new ‘digital campus’ bringing 7,000 civil service jobs to the region.

The new state-of-the-art hub, which will be known as Manchester Digital Campus, will be constructed on the site of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats, alongside the new park.

As mentioned, the campus will bring together a number of Civil Service departments, all with a focus around digital skills, and the Government claims it will create ‘significant employment opportunities’ and ‘economic benefits’ in the region.

Ultimately, Government ministers say these ambitious plans are set to boost Manchester’s digital and tech sector.

Alongside the new campus, however, is the perhaps even-more-exciting addition of a new urban park, which is aiming to improve access to quality green space for city centre residents and visitors, while also creating a connection to the existing Cotton Field Park behind and through to Ancoats and New Islington.

The park space has been designed in collaboration with landscape architects Planit-IE following public consultation.

According to Manchester City Council, 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 also been designed to make sure that it’s fully accessible for all.

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.

“The new park is a welcome addition to our city centre green spaces,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.

“It’s a reimagining of the former retail site that has for many years acted only as a barrier to the community behind – and an eyesore in one of the most exciting parts of our city.”

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You can find out more about all the approved plans here.

Featured Image – Manchester City Council