Plans for new Castlefield neighbourhood include urban park, elevated walking route and hundreds of homes

A consultation is underway, gathering feedback on major plans to create a new city centre neighbourhood.

The Strategic Regeneration Framework for Water Street in Castlefield was first agreed in 2017 – now proposals have been refreshed to ‘significantly increase the ambition’ for the proposed neighbourhood.

The updated proposals for the Water Street area, bound by Trinity Way and the River Medlock, look to deliver hundreds of new homes, a new city centre park, and plans to celebrate the famous heritage archways that are so synonymous with the area.

Boses say that the proposals envisage a mix of tenures, with affordable homes strongly represented, and active ground-floor uses for small-scale retail, hospitality and leisure amenities.

The new urban park, which will follow the banks of the River Medlock, will be designed to be flexible, inclusive and climate resilient, with the potential to be similar in size to phase one of Mayfield Park. New buildings could be utilised to shield the park from the inner ring road, helping to create a tranquil green space.

The SRF refresh looks to improve access to and through the Water Street area, repairing long-term severed links to and through the neighbourhood and improving access via the nearby viaducts. New pedestrian and walking routes will encourage active travel, while an elevated route could be created to Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop via the Bridgewater Viaduct.

Cllr Bev Craig OBE, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Many people may not know this underused part of our city centre, but we have an ambitious vision to create a brand-new urban park that will celebrate the canal running through the site, alongside hundreds of homes – including lots of affordable housing.

“There’s huge potential here. An inclusive new neighbourhood that will improve access to green space in this part of Manchester, creating a tranquil space in the heart of our city – a place Mancunians can be proud of.

“As ever, we want local people’s ideas to help guide development in this area. This is a chance to give your ideas about how we can meet the potential of this new neighbourhood – so let us know what you think.”

You can read more about the consultation and have your say on the plans here.