We went to the Greater Manchester town that's in 'its own little world' with an unbreakable community spirit

These days it sometimes feels we are inundated with surveys, data and rankings of best places to live, best places to buy your first house, best places to retire. And while this may seem overwhelming, it is interesting to note that there are a couple of Greater Manchester areas that keep cropping up.

One of those areas is Prestwich, a town in Bury, just a 20-minute drive out of Manchester city centre. On paper, it makes sense that this area is so popular. It has excellent transport connections to the city centre, thanks to the centrally located tram stop and regular buses.

The other big selling point is the amount of green space in the area, not least because of the town’s proximity to Heaton Park, the largest municipal park in Europe and one of Greater Manchester’s biggest tourist attractions.

Plans have also recently been announced to regenerate the heart of the town, which would see the Longfield Centre demolished and a new “Mackie Mayor-style” food hall built in its place, along with retail spaces, green spaces, 200 new homes and a new car park.

We spent the afternoon in Prestwich talking to residents and business owners about what makes the town so attractive and what the regeneration plans will bring to the area.

Community spirit

There was one common theme in our conversations with residents in Prestwich and that was the strong sense of community. The town has a busy social calendar that includes the regular Makers Market, as well as an annual Art Festival and Pride events.

Today the town also has a growing reputation for its independent businesses and growing food and drink scene, which have prompted some people to call it the “new Didsbury.”

Myroslava Coates, known professionally as MyroDoodles, is a window and mural artist and independent business owner, born and raised in the area. She is an active member of the local community in Prestwich, for which she is nominated in this year’s I Love MCR awards in the community leader category.

As Myroslava puts it: “Prestwich is its own little world – it has everything you need on your doorstep, from green spaces and great schools to independent businesses and a really exciting food and drink scene. All the best bits of a busy, bustling town but with the gentle community feel of the suburbs.”

“We are really proud of our many independent and small businesses in the area, and how busy the village is on both a weekday morning and a Saturday night is a testament to how there is something for everyone.”

Another local business owner, Amita Savani, was also quick to highlight the community spirit of Prestwich. She has lived in the area since 1999 and opened her café Plate and Palette two weeks ago. She told Manchester World that the support from customers and neighbouring business owners has been “amazing.”

In particular, she noted how diverse the area is becoming. She said: “I think it’s become a little bit more diverse, I would say, more equality, more diversity, more friendly. For example, the street that I live on, I was the only Asian person there at the time, now there is another lady and everyone is so friendly. The neighbours, the people, we all look after each other.”

Community is also key for one particular business in the Longfield Centre, the cooperative organic supermarket Village Greens. Commenting on the area, assistant manager Julian Dearlove said: “It is very community-focused, especially Prestwich centre here, it’s a hub of the village.

“We’ve been here nine years, and it feels to be a coming-up place. There is a huge increase in independent businesses that have been here since we started. I think we were one of the first independent businesses, community-focused. That’s massively increased in the last nine years.”

Local resident Judith, who has lived in Prestwich since 2009, said: “I like Prestwich. It’s got a varied community and is relatively safe. There is quite a contrast between the different areas, Bury Old Road, Bury New Road. They do have different vibes, the areas. Although the traffic is horrendous.”

When we visited, Judith was enjoying a latte at a café in the Longfield Centre, which is set to be demolished under the new £100million regeneration plans.

Judith said: “I’m a bit concerned that it will rip out the community spirit. If they’re going to do it all at once, it could kill Prestwich and not make it alive again. Here, you can sit here and watch people go by. So whether it’s going to be a big improvement, I don’t know.”

The future of Prestwich

It was clear from our visit to Prestwich that the town centre is a well-used public space, which cannot be said for some other areas of Greater Manchester.

All the cafes and bars had people sat outside, and there was a steady stream of customers coming out of the shops, both chain and independent, selling a range of products from household items to craft beer. The car park was full – mainly because a lot of people park here and get the tram into the city centre, as one resident said – and there also looked to be a lot of people visiting the library, located in the Longfield Centre.

Many of the residents were optimistic about the regeneration plans for this much-loved area, including Amita.

The cafe owner said: “I remember, many years ago, they were saying that Bury New Road, they wanted to turn it into a new Didsbury, and there’s been talks of it for such a long time. But I think it’s happening now with the regeneration. I think it’s getting there slowly, that’s what we want.

“I think it’s going to be great for the local businesses, especially for the public, the local residents. I think it’s going to generate more jobs, just get more people out as well. It’s going to be very green as well. I can’t wait.”

Julian, whose business will be directly affected by the demolition of the Longfield Centre, said:  “Our customers are really concerned about what is going to happen. They want us still be part of the community here.

“There’s a bit of uncertainty at the moment about how it’s going to affect everyone. The main uncertainty for businesses here, especially independent businesses, is what is going to happen in between. They’re going to demolish all this and the businesses will want to carry on trading.”

However, he is certain that Village Greens will continue to be a part of this community. He added: “All we know is that we still want to be a part of Prestwich, we try our hardest. We will still be here, we just don’t quite know how, yet.”

Similarly, Myroslava also said that she hopes developers prioritise the needs of this community when it comes to the regeneration plans, rather than “hypothetical homeowners of the future,” but that the fact the regeneration team have been “really vocal and present in the village” is a promising start.

For her, change is part of the fabric of the Prestwich community, where ‘old’ and ‘new’ have always coexisted.

She said: “Prestwich has come a long way over the years, but one of my favourite things about it is how so much of ‘vintage’ Prestwich remains and is enjoying a new audience.

"I love that there are Joseph Holt pubs up and down the street, alongside newer community cooperatives and craft ale bars and deli cafes. The two sides of Prestwich live side-by-side, I love that.

“Everyone in Prestwich knows the area needs some much-needed TLC, but I know we are all conscious of keeping the spirit of the village, the independents, the community vibe at the core of the new regeneration.”