Manchester City Council has revealed that the majority of Stevenson Square will be permanently pedestrianised.
Following a series of consultations discussing the future use of the square, which have been taking place since 2019, all with the aim of improving the space for walking and cycling, the Council has now confirmed the “key milestone” for the central Northern Quarter area.
The decision to permanently pedestrianise the area comes after the square originally closed back in 2020 under temporary COVID-19 powers in a bid to encourage people back into the city centre.
The Council explained that its experience with the temporary pedestrianisation of the square had shown that giving more space for pedestrians and cyclists was “incredibly positive” and “signalled a shift in how people want to interact and engage with the city”.
However, the latest consultation held back December 2021 highlighted that there is a need to balance access to the square for all users – including those travelling into the city centre on public transport.
So, in a bid to meet this need, the Council has now set out a list of proposals to update the draft plans and close three quarters of the square to vehicles, while still providing limited access via Lever Street for buses and taxis to link up with Oldham Street and Piccadilly connections.
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Manchester City Council has revealed that the majority of Stevenson Square will be permanently pedestrianised / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph)
The permanent improvements to the square will include:
The pedestrianisation of most of Stevenson Square.
A two-way cycle lane through Stevenson Square at carriageway level, with cycleway demarcation blocks on one side, and tactile crossings put in place and new signage for cyclist.
Pedestrian and cyclist crossings 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.
Pay and display bays in Hilton Street removed.
The Council explains that some loading bays in the area will be relocated to allow for these changes to be made, but this will still retain important space for businesses to trade.
“For a long time, the Council has been committed to the full pedestrianisation of Stevenson Square and we remain so but for now we will provide limited access for buses and taxis in a small area of the square,” said Councillor Tracey Rawlins – Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council.
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The Council has called it a “key milestone” for the central Northern Quarter area / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph)
“We are pleased that the vast majority of the space in the square has been preserved for pedestrians and cyclists, and we will be working with businesses to ensure they can maximise the benefits of these changes.
“For the Council, our bigger picture is being at the forefront of a switch towards walking and cycling in the city centre and turning places like Stevenson Square into vibrant and economically strong neighbourhoods.”
Manchester City Council says the timeframe for when thee planned improvements are to be implemented will be confirmed “at a later date”.
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Appeal launched to find the owner of live chickens found at Creamfields festival
Daisy Jackson
The hunt is on to find the owner of a pair of chickens who were discovered at Creamfields festival.
The two birds were spotted on the grounds of the huge electronic music festival by bewildered festival-goers.
The cockerel and hen were trapped in a hedge, after it appears they wandered onto the festival campsite before the security barriers were installed.
The birds then found themselves trapped inside as around 70,000 music fans poured into Cheshire for a line-up that included Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Disclosure, and Tiësto.
The chickens have been safely rescued from the Creamfields festival site and are recovering at a wildlife centre, and now the RSPCA is on a mission to find their owner.
Festival-goers first called the RSPCA on Saturday 29 August to alert them to the cockerel and hen trapped inside the festival, one of whom assisted in the rescue mission.
RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper: “I was surprised that they were inside the festival site and I needed to get through the road blocks and security before reaching them on foot through muddy fields. I met the caller who helped me as they were just running up and down the hedge line where there was a wire fence blocking access.
Where the chickens were discovered at CreamfieldsThe RSPCA wants to track their owners down
“We managed to guide them out and I caught both of them with my rescue net which was a bit of a sight for the festival campers.
“I don’t think they were abandoned and they’re more likely to be stray because it’s farmland all around the festival site. They don’t have any health issues, apart from being quite underweight.
“With the fences going up a week before the festival starts they’d probably been unable to get out for some time and had been left foraging in the hedge. Someone mentioned that a third bird was also trapped, although we couldn’t find any others.
“I am really grateful to the festival-goer who found them and alerted us to their plight.”
Manchester Airport issues update for anyone flying today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has issued an update for anyone catching a flight today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday.
In case you hadn’t heard, hundreds of flights at several major UK airports – including Manchester Airport – were disrupted by a technical fault at air traffic control provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) yesterday (8 September 2026), with the incident grounding planes and resulting in numerous cancellations.
According to Flightradar24, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled nationwide, and many passengers were told to expect disruption for the rest of the day.
One of the worst-affected airlines was said to be Ryanair, with around 65,000 passengers affected by the cancellations and delays.
Manchester Airport issued its first statement addressing the matter at 3:15pm yesterday, stating: “We are aware of an issue affecting NATS’ air traffic control service at UK airports, which may result in delays to some departing flights from Manchester Airport today.
“Passengers due to travel are advised to check the latest status of their flight with their airline. We will continue to monitor the situation and share further updates as more information becomes available.”
Now, although the issue has been resolved, Manchester Airport has issued further statements informing anyone travelling today what they can expect.
The airport started off by saying that it is ‘operating as normal’ today, but that passengers are advised to ‘check with their airline for the latest information’.
Emily Sergeant -
26th July 2022 
