Piccadilly Gardens to get new look as council sets out first phase of changes
Plans include more greenery, better lighting and space for events in central Manchester
A series of changes are being planned for Piccadilly Gardens in a move the council says will mark the start of a wider transformation of the area.
Manchester City Council has outlined a first phase of work aimed at improving how the space looks and feels – with an emphasis on making it safer, more welcoming and better used.
The announcement follows years of public criticism about the condition of the space and its surroundings.
What’s changing first?
Among the changes coming soon are more planting and flowers, upgrades to the play area, and the removal of the raised concrete walls that have long divided the site.
The current fountain – which we're told no longer works properly – will also be taken out, with the cleared space being used for events and public activities throughout the year.
Lighting and CCTV will be upgraded, and a new police base is planned in the Gardens, with the aim of making people feel safer.
A council and police presence will also be more visible, starting with a community team van stationed on site.
A newly released set of images shows how a more open and greener space might look, but the council says the final version will be shaped by public input, including opportunities to vote on features like planting through the Manchester Flower Festival.
Longer-term ambitions for the area
This is described as the first step in a broader plan to overhaul Piccadilly Gardens. The council says it is working with partners on future developments, including changes to public transport links through a new interchange backed by funding via the Bee Network.
More detailed proposals are expected to follow in the next few years.
‘People want it cleaned up’
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “People tell us they want Piccadilly Gardens cleaned up, brightened up, invested in and made to feel safer.
“We know there are aspects that no longer work – in the case of the fountains, quite literally – and we’re determined to ensure the space looks better and feels better.”
City centre spokesperson Cllr Pat Karney added: “We’ve already demolished most of the hated wall but this package of improvements will go further to make a real and lasting difference.”
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “We know how important it is that people feel safe and confident spending time in Piccadilly Gardens… These improvements are intended to deter antisocial behaviour and criminality.”
Work that doesn’t require planning permission is due to begin once this year’s Christmas Markets – which return to Piccadilly Gardens in November – have ended.