Plan for major revamp of Piccadilly Gardens unveiled

The council said it wanted Piccadilly Gardens to be a space "Mancunians were proud of again"

Plans for a multi-million pound revamp to turn Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester into a "space Mancunians are proud of once again" have been revealed.

The city centre space had become run-down and widely associated with crime and anti-social behaviour in recent years.

But Manchester City Council has announced a two-step plan to improve its appearance, make it safer and invest in children's play equipment to make the gardens an "attractive world-class space".

Council leader Bev Craig said: "We need Piccadilly Gardens to up its game and play its part in welcoming millions of people into our city every year."

Part of the plans include making Piccadilly Gardens "reflect its name", with more displays of flowers, trees, and bigger areas of grass.

Broken fountains and "unsightly" concrete walls will be ripped out to open up the gardens, and a space for public events installed.

The council has released a set of artists impressions of the plans

The children's playground will be made much bigger using some of the space created by removing the walls and raised planters.

Major upgrades to street lighting and CCTV cameras have also been planned, while a Greater Manchester Police team will be based on site to deter crime.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson had previously said: "Piccadilly Gardens is not the gateway to Manchester that any of us want.

"It looks poor. It attracts too many of the wrong sort of people. It creates a sense of lawlessness and a lack of safety.

"Too often, there's a smell of cannabis and it does need tidying up."

A council spokesman said some works that do not require planning permission will "begin quickly" once the 2025 Christmas Markets have finished.

'Vital role'

Craig said: "People tell us they want it cleaned up, brightened up, invested in and made to feel safer.

"It's still called Piccadilly Gardens and we've heard loud and clear from Manchester people that they want its appearance to do more to reflect that name."

The council released a set of artists impressions created by architects LDA Designs, although it said the designs were "purely indicative" and residents would be able to help refine them.

The council said it had also been working 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 transport interchange.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said: "Piccadilly Gardens plays a vital role in connecting people across our city region, with hundreds of thousands of journeys made in and around there every single week.

"We are working closely with the Council to significantly improve facilities for Bee Network passengers by creating a more accessible, modern and welcoming interchange in the heart of the city centre."