Manchester‘s first new park in the heart of the city centre for more than 100 years is officially set to open to the public this week.
It’s been a long journey to get here, but Mayfield Park is finally becoming a reality.
Over the last 18 months, the vast and mostly-derelict former industrial site next to Piccadilly Station has been transformed into what project developers are calling a “stunning, accessible, and varied” green space for everyone who visits the city centre to enjoy.
Mayfield Park has been more than six years in the planning, design, and delivery, and once it officially opens this week, local residents, visitors, and communities across the region will have access to a green oasis and beautifully-landscaped river walkways.
The realisation of the ambitious project comes after the UK government pledged £23 million of investment from its Getting Building Fund to Mayfield Park – which is one of the largest investments in any single project.
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Delivered through Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), developers say this investment is part of the government’s strategy to support “shovel ready schemes” that will help to drive economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manchester’s first new city centre park for more than 100 years is officially opening this week / Credit: Studio Egret West
Mayfield Park’s main entrance on Baring Street will officially be opened to the public at 12:30pm this Thursday 22 September by Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig.
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From then on, it will be open from dawn until dusk, seven days a week.
“September 22 is a momentous day for Mayfield, and Manchester,” said Martyn Evans – the Creative Director at U+I, which is the regeneration company leading the Mayfield development on behalf of the Mayfield Partnership.
“The greatest cities in the world offer a true blend of amazing culture, great architecture and green space.
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“Manchester is one such city and Mayfield Park adds a significant piece of new, family-friendly, inclusive green space to the city centre.”
It's the date you've all been waiting for: 22.09.2022 🌱
Ahead of the ribbon-cutting grand opening ceremony this Thursday, Cllr Bev Craig – Leader of Manchester City Council – commented: “There are some projects that feel so momentous in the development story of our city that we look forward to them with great anticipation [and] Mayfield Park is one of those developments.
“A project that has true transformational potential for this part of our city.
“It’s with excitement then that we can look ahead to the official opening of the city centre’s first public park in 100 years later this week.
“We know the massive health and well-being benefits that green spaces can have for our residents and increasing access to parks for our residents is a key priority for us.”
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Mayfield Park is gearing up to be a “stunning, accessible, and varied” green space for all / Credit: Martin Moss (via Natural England)
Cllr Craig also added that Mayfield also represents “a significant economic boost for Manchester”.
She continued: “The partnership has shopped local when procuring contractors to make sure that employment opportunities have benefited local companies and local people first.
“During the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, it’s this type of development that provides the jobs that our residents need.
“And it makes sure Manchester people continue to share in the success of our city.”
Featured Image – Studio Egret West
News
Police appeal after man seriously injured in Northern Quarter stabbing
Daisy Jackson
Greater Manchester Police are appealing for witnesses after a stabbing in the Northern Quarter left a man seriously injured.
The incident occurred around 7.45pm on Thursday 20 March, on Tib Street near Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens.
Emergency services scrambled to the scene and the victim, a man in his 20s, taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Thankfully his injuries aren’t believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
No arrests have yet been made and officers are now appealing for witnesses to assist with enquiries.
DI Geoffrey Machent, of the City of Manchester Division, said: “At around 7.45pm on Thursday 20 March, we were called to reports of a stabbing on Tib Street.
“A man was subsequently taken to hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening or life-changing. He remains there for treatment.
“At this time, we do not believe the incident presents any threat to the wider public or local businesses operating in the area.
“Neighbourhood officers will be deployed to provide reassurance in the locality over the coming days, including our newly formed Piccadilly Gardens team.
“We would like to appeal to the public for any information, or anyone who witnessed this incident, to please come forward.”
If anyone has information regarding this stabbing in the Northern Quarter, contact police by calling 101, or via the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in an emergency.
Met Office explain ‘likely’ reason for ‘strange spiral’ seen in the sky over Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
Anyone spot that strange out-of-this-world-looking spiral in the sky last night? Lots of us did here in Greater Manchester and, as it turns out, so did lots of people up and down the country.
In fact, it was sighted all over the world.
If you’re anything like us and guilty of being quick to overreact – most of us are just excitable big kids who still daydream about shooting off to a different planet – you’ll be forgiven for having quickly jumped to the conclusion that it was aliens or some other kind of fantastical phenomenon.
Come on, who wouldn’t see this and start to wonder?
However, we hate to spoil your fun but it wasn’t some kind of UFO or something from another universe – but is that what they want us to think?…
Just kidding; after countless people hopped on social media to question what on Earth (or rather not) was going on with the sky and post their own pictures of the strange spiral, one reason was quickly put forward by numerous users and news outlets.
It didn’t take long for those in the US, or who are at least privy to whatever random interstellar nonsense Elon Musk is up to at the minute, to point out that a SpaceX launch had just occurred.
On Monday, 24 March, the American aerospace company launched their Falcon 9 rocket just before 6pm GMT and the spiral-like shape, which was visible for several minutes before fading, is believed to have been caused by leftover fuel released by the rocket during the second phase of its launch.
With SpaceX having already shown off how their rockets can now return to Earth, the subsequent fuel plume, on the other hand, freezes instantly and the light transmitting through the atmosphere is the “likely” reason behind this strange spiral illusion, according to the Met Office and other experts.
We've received many reports of an illuminated swirl in the sky this evening 💫
This is likely to be caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched earlier today. The rocket's frozen exhaust plume appears to be spinning in the atmosphere and reflecting the sunlight, causing it to… pic.twitter.com/4a9urgZceR
So whilst it may not be as sci-fi as your imaginations were hoping for, it is still a showcase of how far we’ve come in terms of technological advancements and creating visuals that would previously feel inexplicable and probably lead to the man on the street to tell his mates, ‘I saw something last night’.
Musk’s relationship with returning President Donald Trump is one that causes concern across large sections of the political landscape and as for his continued space-age innovation, many are deeply worried about the pollution and wider environmental impact caused by several of his companies.
But to circle back: no, it wasn’t some alien portal – just rocket fuel.
Emily Sergeant -
20th September 2022 
