Castlefield Viaduct: National Trust plan to create 'park in the sky' passed

The charity's regional director Mike Innerdale said the park would give the viaduct "a new lease of life"

The National Trust's plans to turn a disused railway viaduct in Manchester into a "park in the sky" have been approved by the city's council.

The charity said it hoped to transform the Grade II-listed Castlefield Viaduct into a temporary "free-to-access park and meeting place" by summer 2022.

It said the park would open for a year "to test ideas and gather feedback".

The organisation's regional director Mike Innerdale said it would give the viaduct "a new lease of life".

The viaduct, which measures 1,080ft (330m) in length and stands at 55ft (17m) above the Castefield canal basin, was built in 1892, but fell into disuse when Manchester Central railway station closed in 1969.

The charity plans to put plants and foliage in the middle section of the viaduct to attract bees and butterflies

Mr Innerdale said the plan was to turn it into "an accessible green space for the 50,000 residents living within a 20-minute walk of the area".

"The viaduct has stood in Manchester for over 125 years and we want to help the city to protect it, injecting the viaduct with a new lease of life so it becomes a space people can use and be proud of," he added.

The charity plans to plant flowers and foliage to attract bees and butterflies and display artworks around the park.

The spokesman said entry would be free, "with a booking system in place to help manage numbers", and guided walks would be available.

The charity's spokesman said further fundraising would be required to make the park permanent

Mr Innerdale said he hoped it would lead to more people being able to enjoy green spaces in the city.

"The pandemic showed us the importance of our local parks and gardens, but it also highlighted significant inequalities in access to green space," he said.

"We hope that by testing ideas [and] finding out what people really need... we can create something that will benefit generations for many years to come."

The charity's spokesman said the scheme would be largely funded by the People's Postcode Lottery and further fundraising would be required to make the park permanent.

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