Heaton Park: Plan for new £5m attraction announced

Heaton Park is one of the largest municipal parks in Europe

A £5m plan to transform Manchester's largest park into "the best in the North West" has been announced.

Manchester City Council wants to create a family attraction in the city's Heaton Park.

The authority is looking to develop a five acre area close to the boating lake for "outdoor and indoor play and education".

The authority is now seeking a private sector partner to design, build, and operate the new facility.

Heaton Park is one of the largest municipal parks in Europe.

The council is looking for a private sector partner to match its £2.5m investment

The land currently consists of a free-to-access "lakeside adventure" woodland play area installed in 2019, a café, a boathouse, a tram shed, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council said it hoped the new attraction would "incorporate the existing lakeside-built environment and be sympathetically designed in mind of the green belt status of the park" and be open throughout the year.

It would also offer space for food and drink and private bookings for children's parties or school trips.

Any applicant would need to match-fund the council's capital input of £2.5m and the deadline for expressions of interest is 8 December.