Council leader Sir Richard Leese has described Piccadilly as a part of Manchester that generates “strong opinions”.
There’s no doubt about that.
The tattered bullseye of Manchester fell on hard times many years ago and has stirred intense emotional responses in residents ever since.
The area’s chequered history and dangerous reputation are unbefitting of its privileged position as the gateway to the city centre; with the Gardens in particular being plagued with all manner of problems from petty crime to assault.
But things may finally be about to change; for real this time.
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There has been much talk and very little walk surrounding the transformation of Piccadilly so far. But a significant step was taken in late 2020 when construction workers walloped a huge chunk of concrete out of the vilified ‘Berlin Wall‘.
Now, it seems Manchester City Council is keen to keep the ball rolling (and perhaps swinging) – with more development on the way.
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This week, council members opened the floor to the public – starting a big conversation about Piccadilly which will help shape design proposals for its future.
For the next eight weeks, Manchester residents can have their own say; being invited to share their experiences of – and aspirations for – the areas of Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly, Mosley Street, Parker Street and Market Street.
Working with landscape architects LDA, the council is looking at different functions – including Piccadilly’s purpose as a route through the city, an interchange for tram and bus passengers, a retail landscape, and an events space.
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Through public feedback, the council is hoping to understand the opportunities, challenges and limitations involved in the area, aiming to find a way to “design out” crime in the area.
Could Piccadilly Gardens be completely transformed?
The Leader of Manchester City Council said that he knew the area “could be better“, but wanted to “understand what people want from the space.”
He stated: “By telling us your experience of the Piccadilly area, including Piccadilly Gardens, you will be helping shape its future.”
Leese also revealed that the council’s ambition was to create a ‘modern Piccadilly area’ with a ‘friendly, lively, public space’.
“We don’t want to turn back the clock to a time when there were far fewer people using the city centre,” he added.
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“We need to look to the future, not the past. Nor do we have a completely blank canvas – there are things such as tram lines and statues, and the Pavilion building which we do not own, which we have to work around.
“But we can and will be imaginative and seek to deliver a public space set in a vastly improved streetscape.”
The council will also be hosting a virtual exhibition offering insight on the proposed vision for Piccadilly, which will be available to view online.
The ‘Piccadilly Conversation’ survey is open for eight weeks, until March 21.
Entertainment union Equity makes £1 bid for Manchester Pride to protect workers from ‘further exploitation’
Emily Sergeant
Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity has made a £1 bid for Manchester Pride.
You may remember that, back in October last year, Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – entered into voluntary liquidation, and news emerged last week that the assets were being sold off to the highest bidder by liquidators.
By offering a ‘symbolic’ £1 for the assets – which include the Manchester Pride brand name and associated domain names – Equity says its bid has been made to give workers the opportunity to ‘decide the future’ of the event.
The bid is also said to have been made to prevent a repeat of 2025 – which apparently left Equity union members more than £70,000 out-of-pocket in unpaid fees.
Equity’s variety organiser, Nick Keegan, warned that selling the Manchester Pride brand to a commercial buyer risks ‘undermining the values’ of the event and the community that built it.
He worried it could also leave performers and workers ‘vulnerable to further exploitation’.
“Manchester Pride is not just a city-wide party,” Mr Keegan explained. “Its roots in protest are as important today as then.”
He added: “Manchester Pride was built by the LGBTQ+ workers of Canal St and beyond who provide a space and a community for LGBTQ+ people all year round. The event should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold off to the highest bidder.
“The cultural workforce are at the heart of Pride, without them, there is no festival.
“After what happened in 2025, with members left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket, we don’t want to see history repeat itself.”
Equity says that if its bid is successful, the workers will have control over who the ‘asset’ goes to.
“Our bid is about protecting Pride as a community asset, not a commercial one,” the union’s statement continued.
“Allowing the people whose labour was used to build this ‘asset’ to decide how the trademark of Manchester Pride is used in the future will help protect them from further exploitation, as well as preserve the values and the longevity of the event itself.”
Featured Image – Manchester Pride (Supplied)
News
New police hub to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour
Emily Sergeant
A new police hub is set to be established in Piccadilly Gardens.
In case you missed it, it was announced last week that council tax in Greater Manchester could be increased to help fund improvements to policing, and that a consultation on it has been launched – with local residents urged to have their say.
The police precept helps Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements, including the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bringing more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.
Greater Manchester council tax is set to be increased again to help fund improvements to policing, and a consultation is now live. 🏘️🚔📝
But on top of this, Mayor Andy Burnham has also pledged to deliver a new police hub in Piccadilly Gardens as part of a wider drive to improve policing.
GMCA says its ‘top priority’ is to build strong communities where people feel safe, and it is Mayor Andy Burnham and his Deputy Mayors’ responsibility to enable GMP to be an ‘effective and efficient’ police force.
Local leaders say their ambition for 2026 is to maintain a ‘high-performing’ police service by tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and protecting residents and businesses along the way – and part of this ambition is to increase police visibility in Piccadilly Gardens, which is a much-maligned part of the city centre, by launching a new ‘prominent’ police hub.
The increase in the police precept is also being touted to help increase ‘hot spot policing tactics’ in town centres and other key locations to help drive down theft and other violent retail crimes.
A new police hub is to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour / Credit: Gerald England (via Geograph) | Rawpixel
“We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham. “The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year.
“So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack. These incidents added significant pressure to police resources.
“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”
The Manc -
29th January 2021 
