Work begins on £100m Prestwich regeneration project

Work to deliver the £100m+ regeneration of Prestwich Village centre has officially started, with the first phase of the ambitious plans involving the construction of a new multi-storey Travel Hub off Fairfax Road.

The work, which starts on Wed 4 Dec, will include four weeks of ground investigations before the main construction commences in the New Year.

Prestwich Regeneration LLP – a joint venture between national place maker Muse and Bury Council is working towards the Travel Hub being open from May 2026.

The Travel Hub will provide a long-term parking solution for the village with 301 spaces, including electric vehicle charging points, cycle storage and a car club. It will replace the existing Fairfax Road car park, which will be closed when the work begins. However, the Longfield Centre surface car park will remain open.

The plans form part of an overhaul of the dated Longfield Centre site, ‘creating a new beating heart for Prestwich Village’ with shops, community facilities, public green spaces and new homes. Delivering the new Travel Hub first will mean, once completed, the existing Longfield Centre surface car park can then be used to facilitate the delivery of the village masterplan.

Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Leader of Bury Council, said: “We’re putting unprecedented levels of investment into the town centre to ensure it can thrive for generations to come. It’s fantastic to see the work starting, and we all look forward to seeing the full transformation of Prestwich Village.”  

Stuart Rogers, Director of Project Management at Muse, said: “This is a huge moment for Prestwich and marks the start of the village’s much-anticipated regeneration. After years of consultation, detailed design and preparation beginning to put spades in the ground is a very exciting time.

“This is just the first phase of a landmark plan to transform the Longfield Centre and firmly establish Prestwich as one of the best places to live and spend time in the North-West.”

The plans which were approved by Bury Council in July 2024 include:

• A community hub including a library and flexible community space that can be used for events, clubs and art and culture. The building will also offer an opportunity to deliver a new Prestwich Health Centre, with discussions ongoing with the NHS and local GP practices.
• A new village square with family-friendly social places for all the community to meet and relax, which has been flexibly designed so it provides space for pop-up events like markets, food festivals, art exhibitions and live performances.
• A market hall providing smaller spaces for local retailers to thrive and grow. This includes a food hall for local food operators and communal seating that spills out onto the village square.
• Flexible retail and leisure spaces across the site, which will complement the high street and help to cater for Prestwich’s diverse business community. This is likely to include a new gym.
• Landscaped outdoor and green spaces, trees and places to wander, relax and sit. The existing fountain will be removed, and new public art installations will be incorporated throughout the development.
• Enhancing the Prestwich arrival experience from the tram by delivering landscaping which connects with green spaces in the village.
• Relocating car parking in the centre of the site to a new Travel Hub off Fairfax Road, which will contain electric vehicle charging points and cycle storage.
• Around 200 new homes, which form part of the outline application, it is envisaged this will include a mix, from affordable homes to homes for first-time buyers, growing families and downsizers. The design, materials and style will follow in a future detailed planning application.