Bosses share update on Piccadilly Gardens transformation

A delivery team has now been appointed ahead of the much-awaited transformation of Piccadilly Gardens.

Manchester Council shared the news that lead contractor Galliford Try will work with landscape architect and lead designer Planit, and civil, structural and highways engineers Civic to turn the vision into reality.

Plans were announced in autumn last year, and included a wide range of improvements to enhance both the appearance and people’s experience of the prominent city centre area.

Now the delivery team will develop and design in detail plans for Piccadilly Gardens ahead of a comprehensive planning application later this year. Subject to planning approval, they will then deliver the final scheme. Stakeholder engagement and public consultation will be carried out ahead of the planning application being submitted.

Preliminary work on elements which do not require planning permission, including surveys and work to remove equipment under Piccadilly Gardens relating to the defunct fountains, has already begun along with the decluttering of redundant infrastructure.

According to the council, the work includes:

• Putting the ‘Gardens’ back in Piccadilly Gardens – more trees, planting and floral displays.      

• A new space for family-friendly events - removing the old, unreliable fountains and using the new space created to hold enjoyable events and activities throughout the year. A new, flexible structure will be built on part of the space to help support events.      

• Better use of space -Ripping out the unsightly low concrete walls and raised planters along the edge of Piccadilly Gardens, close to the Queen Victoria statue.    

• Refreshing the existing children’s play area – transforming the space created by the removal of the wall and raised planters and creating a new playground for younger children. This will be of the same high quality as recently-created new play areas such as those at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green but designed specifically to suit Piccadilly Gardens.      

Improvements to the look and feel of the space are being complemented by a range of other multi-agency initiatives. These include a strengthened police presence through GMP’s dedicated neighbourhood policing team, set up to tackle issues and concerns in Piccadilly Gardens, and imminent improvements to CCTV.

Once the work is completed, the Council aims to ensure a regular stream of year-round family-friendly events, similar to last summer’s MCR Live 25 celebration, which coincided with Oasis’ comeback gigs at Heaton Park.

Beyond this immediate plan, the Council says it has been working with partners on next steps for Piccadilly Gardens and the wider area in the coming years, including a multi-million-pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.

The sensitive restoration of the nearby 1930s Rylands Building on the corner of Market Street, High Street and Tib Street, will also complement – and be complemented by – the transformation of Piccadilly Gardens. The elegant art deco building, which previously housed Debenhams, will accommodate new office, retail and leisure space and help connect Piccadilly with the Northern Quarter.

Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We are cracking on with delivering improvements to Piccadilly Gardens to make it an attractive, welcoming and colourful space in which Mancunians can take pride.  The appointment of the delivery team is a big milestone in this transformative project to create a better Piccadilly Gardens which makes a positive contribution to the city centre.

“The physical works will be complemented by other initiatives and fresh approaches to management to ensure a world-class public space which is safe, inviting and enjoyable to spend time in.”

Elizabeth Bell, Galliford Try Operations Director, said: “We are delighted to be selected for such a significant, landmark scheme, building on our experience of delivering high-quality spaces in Manchester alongside our designers PlanIt and Civic, including the Medieval Quarter, Glade of Light.”