Work to extend Gorton town square gets underway

The next phase of the Gorton town square investment project has begun, with plans to extend the square now underway.

This element of the project will add a range of accessible play features for young people, as well as more seating and planting to the space, completing the high street investment project that was started last year.

The extended space will also be adaptable to host events throughout the year, creating a community-focused area that seeks to attract visitors and boost footfall to support local businesses and help the local economy thrive, including the popular Gorton Market.

The new play features will offer something for ages two through to eleven, including balance beams, bumble bee springers, stepping pods, and a number of different spinning features for different age groups. A colourful and accessible Snakes and Ladders game will complete the work, along with new planting and age-friendly benches.

The works to the town square are expected to be completed in the spring this year, delivered by north west contractor Warden Construction.

This investment is part of the wider ambition to create a new heart for Gorton, as set out in the Development Framework for the neighbourhood. It complements other investments in the local area, including the opening of the Gorton Hub community space in 2022.

The longer-term regeneration proposals for this part of Gorton include hundreds of new mixed tenure homes, including ‘significant social rent and genuinely affordable housing’, that will be built on Council-owned land overlooking the new square.

Simultaneously, work is ongoing at the market hall where major repairs have been completed to the roof, and new photovoltaic panels have been installed to improve the green credentials of the building.

Some businesses are being relocated elsewhere within the building to allow for further investment in the market, including creating a new food hall next to the raised terrace and improvements to existing units. Further updates will be made available in the coming weeks.

Cllr Bev Craig OBE, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The ongoing investment in Gorton is a great example of what we are looking to do to support high streets across the city. What started with the Gorton Hub in 2022 has now expanded to a brand new town square – a new focal point for the neighbourhood – major investment in the  market building to make sure it can continue to serve this community for years to come, and we’ll soon begin to see the first genuinely affordable and social housing start on site.

“This is about making sure our high streets and district centres can continue to thrive, attract visitors to support local economies and create spaces where our residents want to spend time.

“This next phase starting on site is great news for the area and we’ll soon welcome other similar investment projects starting on site soon in Moston and Newton Heath – alongside the Wythenshawe Town Centre project that is already well underway.”