Corner of Manchester that's become one of 'world's coolest neighbourhoods' with transformation nearly complete

A 20-year-long Mancunian story is coming to an end. 

It’s a story that’s taken a corner of the city from drained canals and derelict warehousing — to being one of the ‘world’s coolest neighbourhoods’, home to thousands of people and a thriving social scene. That story is the regeneration of Ancoats.

And what started as a pipedream just after the new millennium is now reaching its final stages, city bosses say. They believe the transformation of the area will be completed with a trio of projects — some affordable housing, a ‘mobility hub’, and a new park. And now, those projects are nearing completion, with all expected to be finished at some point next year.

“We’ve seen the transformation of Ancoats over the last two decades from a decking postindustrial inner-city area into a modern, vibrant, urban community,” Bev Craig, council leader, said.

The affordable housing is being built by the council, via its own developer, called This City. Its project on Rodney Street, near Ancoats Green, sees 129 homes being built — namely 119 flats and 10 townhouses.

Of these, 30 percent will be available at the ‘Manchester Living Rent’, which is set at the local housing allowance rate. The hope is the Rodney Street scheme, due to finish in 2025, will pave the way for This City to build 500 council homes every year, political chiefs say.

Over the road are the next two projects — the Ancoats Mobility Hub and refreshed park. The existing Green will be ‘much-improved’ by new walking routes, wildflower and wetland planting, a play area, and a small events space, chiefs add. Work is well underway on the Green, as it is expected to complete in late 2024. It will sit next to a new mobility hub which reached its ‘topping out’ point recently.

Primarily a multi-storey car park with 406 spaces — with 102 EV charging points and 30 car club bays — it will also have parking for 150 bicycles. Residents will also be able to benefit from parcel lockers in the building, with ‘a new commercial or hospitality space also being explored’, the council says.

Gavin White, the executive councillor for housing, called the trio ‘an exemplar approach to neighbourhood redevelopment’ by ‘putting the resident, affordable housing, and active travel first’. “We’d like to see it replicated in other parts of our city ensuring clean, pleasant streets, finished to a high standard that our residents want to spend time in.”