Urb

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Sup

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Ancoats Urban Village

Ancoats was the world's first

industrial suburb. At the height of its

success, it was an innovative area

driving Manchester's premier position

as a manufacturing and trading City.

As many as 13,000 people lived and

worked here, where neither living

nor working conditions were good,

something we often forget when

looking at buildings from another era.

If Ancoats is to become more than

a fading monument to its past, our

challenge is to renew its purpose.

This means grasping the tradition of

innovation and putting old buildings

back into new uses and constructing

new buildings of quality to

complement those that already exist.

Most of all, it means getting people to

once again live, work and play here in

an environment that reflects our

modern aspirations.

The City Council is committed to

delivering a sustainable future for

Ancoats. Supplementary Planning

Guidance for the area is one of the

means of achieving this objective. It

sets out the planning framework for

regeneration, recognising that Ancoats

is a heritage area of outstanding value

that needs to look forward if it is to have

a long-term and viable future.

The key message contained within

this Guidance is quality - quality of

concept, quality of design and quality

of implementation. Ancoats deserves

nothing less.

Foreword

Councillor Richard Leese Leader of the Council

Councillor Val Stevens Executive Member for

Planning & Transport

Jim Ramsbottom Chairman -

Ancoats Urban Village Company

Contents Foreword

Introduction 1

The Vision for Ancoats 2

Conservation Character of Ancoats 3

Development principles in Ancoats 4

Economic Development Principles

Housing Development Principles

Urban Design Principles

Conservation Principles

Public Realm Principles

Highway Network Principles

Car Parking Principles

Sustainability Principles

Stewardship and Security

Village Core 5

Rochdale Canal Zone 6

Oldham Road Zone 7

Poland Street Zone 8

The Public Realm 9

Implementation 10

Appendix

Planning Policy Context

Councillor Richard Leese Leader of the Council

Councillor Val Stevens Executive Member for

Planning & Transport

Jim Ramsbottom Chairman -

Ancoats Urban Village Company

IntroductionThis document has been produced to help convey the vision

for Ancoats as a vibrant area of the City which will contain a

variety of uses, both within buildings and within the area, with

sufficient living and working population to ensure its long

term future. The content has been the subject of much

discussion with key stakeholders (particularly English

Heritage) as well as the more formal consultation process. This

has been a time consuming process involving changes to

reflect the passage of time as well as taking on board the

comments of consultees.

Whilst by virtue of Section 54A of the Town

and Country Planning Act 1990, only policies

in the development plan can have a special

status, supplementary planning guidance may

be taken into account as a material

consideration. Planning Policy Guidance Note

number 12, "Development Plans and Regional

Planning", Paragraph 3.19, states that ..."the

weight accorded to it (the SPG) will increase if

it has been prepared in consultation with the

public and has been the subject of a council

resolution."

In 1995, the City Council adopted The Manchester

Plan, which is the Unitary Development Plan for

the City. In Part 1 of the UDP (as modified and

adopted in December 1998), Ancoats has been

designated as an urban renewal area under Policy

R1.1. In Part 2 of the UDP, Policies 14, 15, 16, 17,

and 18 in Area Proposals 4(c) relate specifically

to Ancoats. This Supplementary Planning

Guidance for Ancoats was endorsed by the City

Council for the purposes of consultation with a

view to formal adoption. It does not form part

of the statutory Unitary Development Plan but:

■ its proposals derive from and are consistent

with the UDP, and other agreed planning

policy documents as set out in Appendix 1;

■ it provides advice/interpretation, additional

justification, and information on key parts of

the UDP relating to Ancoats;

■ it has been approved by the Council for

interim development control purposes and

will be a material consideration in the

determining of planning applications;

■ it provides a framework which will help

decision - making by funding agencies about

bids and schemes that may come forward;

■ it is a policy document which sets the context

for agreeing priorities for regeneration.

This guidance will be used in the determination

of planning and other applications, and

therefore, applicants will be expected to

demonstrate how their proposals address

the issues that it covers. Also, applicants are

advised to refer to the full text of the Unitary

Development Plan, and "A Guide to

Development in Manchester", together with

relevant guidance from Central Government,

for example, Planning Policy Guidance Notes,

and especially "Planning and the Historic

Environment" - PPG15.

Developers are advised to have

early discussions with the local

planning authority and the Ancoats

Urban Village Company regarding

their proposals for the area.

Supplementary Planning Guidance is a means by which a local planning

authority can prepare planning guidance which can expand the policies

and proposals of the relevant statutory development plan to address

particular circumstances, and which can be helpful for those preparing

planning applications.

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Ancoats

Ancoats contains some of the earliest urban

steam-driven mill buildings and was the world's

first industrial suburb. It has one of the largest

concentrations of Grade II and Grade II* Listed

Buildings in the City of Manchester, some dating

from the 1790s. Much of the Georgian and

Victorian architecture survives to this day.

The significance of the area was first formally

recognised in 1989 with its designation as a

conservation area. More recently, the area has

been accepted, along with other areas of canal

heritage, onto the UK shortlist of sites for

nomination to the UN for World heritage Site

status. The listed buildings and the conservation

area boundary are shown on the adjacent plan.

Between 1996 and 1999, a successful

Conservation Area Partnership between the City

Council and English Heritage operated in Ancoats,

judicious use of repairs notices and in some

cases, Urgent Works notices, alongside the carrot

of financial assistance, saved many buildings from

irretrievable damage. This action helped to “stop

the rot”, what is needed now is the appropriate

investment to bring the area back to life.

Two organisations have been established to

pursue the regeneration of Ancoats. The Ancoats

Urban Village Company is a not-for-profit

company, set up to facilitate the overall

development of the Urban Village. The company

has a broad strategic responsibility for the physical

regeneration of the area and, in addition, will

undertake a wide variety of tasks from promotion

of the Village, through to managing the

implementation of projects. Manchester City

Council has nominated the Company as its

primary delivery agent for the area. The Ancoats

Buildings Preservation Trust is a registered charity

dedicated to preserving and securing viable and

economic future uses for key historic buildings in

the area, within the context of the Urban Village

Company's wider regeneration framework.

Ancoats is one of four neighbourhoods

(together with the Northern Quarter, Miles

Platting, and the Ashton Canal Corridor) which

fall within Eastside Regeneration, a Single

Regeneration Budget 2 (SRB2) initiative. This SRB

Partnership is committed to the regeneration of

all parts of the SRB area. As well as protecting

and enhancing Ancoats, Eastside Regeneration

seeks to ensure that Ancoats is better keyed in

to City Centre initiatives. Of equal importance

is the need to guide investment in Ancoats in

such a way that it contributes to social and

community regeneration within the wider

Ancoats and Miles Platting communities.

In the wider context of East Manchester, one

of the first new Urban Regeneration Companies

has been established, along the lines suggested

in the Urban Task Force Report. New East

Manchester was launched in November 1999

and has assumed a strategic responsibility for

all existing initiatives in Ancoats, Miles Platting,

Clayton, Beswick and Openshaw. All activity

within Ancoats will need to complement this

wider perspective. One of the key objectives

of this SPG is to ensure congruence between

these different levels of decision-making.

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The objective is to create a living and

working quarter, immediately adjacent to

the City Centre of Manchester.

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1 Beehive Mill 2 New Little (Dixon) Mill 3 Fireproof (Waulk) Mill4 Union Mill/Murray Mill5 Jersey Mill6 St Peter’s Church 7 Victoria Square 8 Sedgwick Mill9 Sedgwick New Mill10 Paragon Mill11 Royal Mill12 Derros Building13 Daily Express Building14 Crown & Kettle

The Vision for Ancoats

Ancoats will become a place

where people will want to live,

work, and visit. There will be a

wide choice of housing, varying

in price and tenure in new

buildings, as well as in the

historic mills. There will be

business premises of varying size

and type, from small workshops

to office suites. People will find

local shops, restaurants and pubs.

Ancoats will be a lively but safe place in which to live

and work. There will be more jobs and new types of

work, as new businesses are attracted to the area.

Ancoats will also be attractive to visitors. There will be

new public spaces, overlooked by shops, cafes, bars,

restaurants and pubs.

Leisure uses such as

clubs, community

facilities, galleries and

museums will also have

a place in the life of

this neighbourhood.

The key strategic aims for development in Ancoats

are as follows :

■ To provide an attractive place to live,

work and visit so that Ancoats becomes

a sustainable extension of the city.

■ To safeguard and protect the valuable built

heritage of Ancoats, to ensure it plays its full

part in the regeneration of the area.

■ To reflect locally, the principles of the Guide

to Development in Manchester.

■ To develop a sustainable, diverse, and

integrated residential and business

community.

Conservation Character of Ancoats

Form

The rectangular shaped area is bounded on its

south-western edge by Great Ancoats Street, a

major traffic route and part of the Inner Ring

Road surrounding the City Centre. This street

separates Ancoats both physically and

psychologically from the commercial activity

associated with the City Centre.

Another major trafficked route provides the

longer north-western boundary, Oldham Road,

being a radial connecting the city centre with

towns to the north and the motorway

network. The north-eastern boundary is less

well defined taking in some 1980s industrial

units, but running parallel with Poland Street.

The south-eastern boundary is defined by the

Rochdale Canal which is included in the

conservation area. The evocative 19th Century

illustrations of the Ancoats Mills aligning

Redhill Street, alongside the canal, have

ensured that the area is known the world over.

The area is traversed by a series of streets in

both a north-west/south-east and north-east/

south-west axis, creating a grid network similar

to that in the City Centre. This grid is almost

consistently at 90º, with the notable exception

of the area closest to the south-western

boundary. Here a second grid is angled

parallel to Great Ancoats Street. The clash

between the two geometries permits some

interesting architectural forms. The grid system

allows for permeability of movement, although

it is less well defined at its north-eastern end.

Block sizes between the streets vary, although

most remain rectangular in plan form. There

are no major changes in land levels throughout

the area, however, there is a slight and gradual

increase in level from the south-west to the

north-east. Consequently, land levels have not

influenced building form although the mill

buildings grouped to the south-east of the area

are clearly related to the Rochdale Canal which

is set in a cutting two or three metres lower

than the surrounding streets. Only one street

crosses the canal in the area, providing an

interesting architectural feature in the bridge.

Views into the conservation area are obtained

from the two roads which form the south-

western and north-western boundaries, but

there are long-range views from the City

Centre along Oldham Street and Newton

Street, and from the Rochdale Canal Basin off

Ducie Street. The substantial brick massing of

the Ancoats mills can also be viewed from the

Ashton Canal to the east.

Located to the north of Manchester's City Centre, Ancoats holds a

unique place in the history of the western world's industrialisation and

organisation of society. It was the world’s first industrial suburb, and

still has buildings, streets and artefacts dating from the end of the 18th

century. The complex of mill buildings in close proximity to the canals,

residential buildings housing the mill workers and associated buildings

containing other facilities, survive in varying degrees to provide one of

Britain’s most dramatic townscapes.

Given the relatively level character of the land

and the lack of high surrounding land or man-

made features, there is little opportunity to

view the area other than from ground level.

Nevertheless the different heights of individual

buildings combine with a variety of pitched

roofs, chimneys, towers, gables and turrets to

create a skyline of considerable interest.

Scale

There is little consistency in the scale of

buildings within the area. Individual two storey

domestic properties contrast with massive mill

buildings rising to 6-7 storeys. The footprints

similarly vary. Most of the 19th century

buildings consist of solid brickwork with

window openings, the rhythm of which helps

establish the scale of built form.

The mill buildings located in the east of the

area are generally built to the back of

pavement following the street pattern, helping

to establish the 'street-wall' concept, so well

defined in Manchester generally. Some mills

have been grouped around a central courtyard.

The same principle is adopted in the early

residential scheme of Victoria Square.

Along the two main boundary roads a

contrasting mix of scales within neighbouring

buildings is evident. Individual three-storey,

domestically scaled, properties align the road

alongside massive buildings like the former

Express Newspaper Building (the "Black Glass

Building"). Significantly different from both of

these forms are the terraced properties centred

on Anita Street. Interestingly, however all

these buildings are constructed to the back of

pavement and all contribute to the street-wall

character. Nevertheless, plot widths vary

dramatically, with domestically-scaled sites

situated on the two main road frontages as

well as in the centre of the conservation area,

sitting alongside the massive plots occupied by

the mills and properties like the residential

Victoria Square and the "Black Glass" building.

Material & Details

The Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian

buildings follow the general palette of

There is little

consistency in the

scale of buildings

within the area.

Individual two

storey domestic

properties contrast

with massive mill

buildings rising to

6-7 storeys high.

materials employed elsewhere in the City

Centre: red/orange brick, terracotta and/or

buff coloured sandstone details, pitched slate

roofs. On the main road frontages other

coloured stone, tiles and glass are added to the

general range and it is here that the tri-partite

subdivision of elevations common to the

commercial areas of the City Centre is

displayed, i.e. over-large ground floors, often

heavily modelled, with a more regular middle

portion and topped by a varied upper level

containing a variety of rooftop devices to

create an interesting skyline. The industrial

buildings in the centre of the conservation

area are more utilitarian with a repetitive

similarity in terms of window proportions

at all levels. However individual towers and

identifying features create some variety to

the respective mills.

Whilst two 1930s buildings on Great Ancoats

Street display horizontally-proportioned

window fenestration, the majority of earlier

buildings exhibit the traditional characteristics

of vertically proportioned window openings

with the plane of glass set well back from the

plane of brick or masonry. It is this

combination of proportions and deep reveals

in the repetitive window pattern that

establishes the architectural character of the

mill buildings. There is less emphasis on the

corners of buildings in Ancoats compared with

the city centre, but individual buildings do

respect street junctions with architectural

devices, e.g. Victoria Square.

Floor surfaces have been modified since being

originally laid down. Originally, large gritstone

setts covered the carriageways with substantial

stone kerbs restraining riven stone paving

flags, randomly sized but positioned at right

angles to the buildings. A number of

modifications have taken place in the

intervening years with modernised

carriageways and man-made kerbs and paving

flags. The courtyards to the former cotton mills

were mostly covered with a variety of stone

setts bonded in ways which best served the

demands of delivery and service vehicles. These

surfaces, together with the mill buildings

which contain them, are important components

of the area's industrial archaeology.

Landmark Buildings

By a combination of their physical dimensions

and their historical significance to western

society far beyond Manchester, the Royal and

Murray groups of mills dominate the area.

Together with the New Little Mill and Fireproof

Mill, these brick edifices are closely related to

the adjacent Rochdale Canal, although the

canal arms which formerly stretched into the

Conservation Area have been filled in. Beehive

Mill on Jersey Street is situated in the middle of

the area. Originally it too had a canal arm

connection. Whilst construction techniques

varied as technical developments took place,

accompanied by the need to fireproof the mills,

all of them display red brick elevations.

In the heart of the area, situated on the axis of

Sherratt Street, lies the Romanesque style

church of St. Peter's. Although small in

comparison to the mills, it is an important

landmark with its architectural form, significant

tower and swept roof.

The contrasting form of the 6 storey residential

block of Victoria Square, with shops at ground

floor level, architectural emphasis on its four

corners and varied rooftop treatment, sets it

apart as a landmark in the area. Daringly

different is the Black Glass Building, constructed

in 1938 in a combination of black (Vitrolite) and

clear glass. Although a great contrast to the

other properties on Great Ancoats Street, the

seven-storey building is constructed to the back

of pavement and forms part of the street wall.

Whilst buildings such as the above can be

clearly identified, the townscape character of

the area is more accurately defined by the grid

street system with a variety of buildings filling

the blocks. Together, buildings on both sides of

a street create the street wall character of

Ancoats, in common with other parts of the

City Centre.

Development Principles

Economic

■ Ground floors should be encouraged for

active uses which generate pedestrian

movement and offer the opportunity in

appropriate buildings for window displays

e.g. retail, food and drink sales, leisure,

small scale office suites or professional

services. This will help to develop a lively

public realm.

■ Upper floors of buildings could provide

opportunities for a variety of uses

including residential, hotel, leisure,

workspace or office use.

■ Individual developments should be mixed

use wherever practicable.

■ Cultural industries and IT-based uses will be

encouraged.

■ Every effort will be made to ensure the

continuance of suitable low-cost workspace,

in order to safeguard established businesses

and employment.

■ Careful small-area planning and other

measures such as sound proofing, will be

needed to ensure that the provision of a

lively public realm (together with a night-

time economy) does not conflict unduly

with the legitimate needs of a residential

community. However, it is not intended to

create a suburban environment, and

potential occupants will need to balance

potential disturbance against the greater

convenience of a central location.

■ Existing businesses will be encouraged to

remain in Ancoats, except where they are

seen as damaging to wider amenity and to

regeneration possibilities.

Housing

There should be a diversity of residential types

in terms of size, tenure, and price.

The City Council wishes to promote a genuine

balance in the Ancoats residential community

and to create real choice for residents of all

income ranges. Some high value housing for

sale, including loft apartments, will be

encouraged, as will entry-level housing for sale

and/or market renting. Existing supported

housing will be retained. Other forms of housing

provision will be encouraged if they help to

ensure that residents on lower incomes are able

to live in a community which offers housing and

employment close to the City Centre.

Whilst it is anticipated that much of the

residential development will be flats/

apartments, the appropriate development of a

wider range of housing types will not be

discouraged, if opportunities arise.

The intention is to protect and enlarge the

existing economic diversity in Ancoats. Mixed

use, high density developments will be

encouraged to promote vitality and reduce the

need for commuting.

Urban Design

Ancoats contains an historic fabric which is

ready for rejuvenation, combining what is

valued from the past with the best of the new,

whilst retaining the essential character of the

area. The adjacent plan shows landmark and

skyline features which will be helpful in this

context :

■ Building entrances should generally front

onto streets and other areas of public

space.

■ Within their plots, buildings should be sited

so as to create or contribute to a clearly-

defined street frontage. All visible

frontages, including return frontages,

should be treated as part of the main

elevation where they contribute to the

street scene.

■ Street corners should be reinforced by

buildings wherever possible, or at least by

some form of built enclosure. Temporary

measures might include tree planting or tall

railings, but would not include surface level

car parking or open service yards.

■ Infill developments should be of the highest

contemporary design, using good quality

long lasting materials, which reflect and

compliment the established Georgian and

Victorian character of Ancoats. Quality

development will always be sought, as

distinct from a particular architectural or

historic style. By following this approach,

future buildings will take their place as

important elements in the ongoing

evolution of Ancoats.

■ Historic frontages and building lines should

be reinstated where they have begun to

break down. Wherever practicable, plot

sizes should be respected in new designs,

in order to give a varied and organic look

to street facades. New buildings should

maintain the complexity and density of

the street elevations along Great Ancoats

Street. The intention is to ensure the

retention of the urban grain and create

buildings with massing appropriate to the

area.

■ Refurbished buildings should retain and

enhance the character of the original, so

far as this is reasonably practical. Planning

applications should include both condition

and photographic surveys to record original

architectural details.

■ The unique sense of place in Ancoats is

heightened by the diverse scale both of

the buildings and of the relationship of

buildings and the spaces between them.

New developments must also reflect

these relationships.

■ Development schemes should be at a scale,

height, plot ratio, massing, and alignment,

complimentary to the particular part of

Ancoats in which they lie.

■ New development should retain the

traditional street pattern. Permeability

should not be compromised by the

development of 'superblocks' which

subsume existing streets, and which alter

the established grain of the area.

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Skyline Features

Ancoats contains an historic fabric which is ready for rejuvenation, combining

what is valued from the past with the best of the new, whilst retaining the

essential character of the area.

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■ Variety of building heights and styles

along frontages can produce interest.

New developments should contribute to

this variety, but not be a pastiche of

other building forms. (Planning applications

for new buildings should include street

elevations showing the context of adjacent/

nearby historic buildings).

■ Landmark buildings should be protected,

and new ones created, where appropriate.

■ Protection is needed for axes and vistas,

and opportunities should be sought to

create new ones. Skyline features such as

traditional roof lines, mills, chimneys and

the church tower should be respected.

■ Former canal arms could, in the long-term,

be re-opened. Where redevelopment is being

proposed across the line of a former canal,

the implications for future canal traffic

should be considered carefully. The

presumption will generally be against

permanent closure. Where new building

occurs prior to potential canal re-opening,

new buildings should address former canal

arms, as well as the street.

■ All new developments and changes of use

requiring approval from the City Council

will be examined against the policies for

promoting access for disabled people.

Conservation

Conservation of the historic character of

Ancoats is a prime consideration in relation

to development proposals.

■ Buildings which are listed for their historic

or architectural importance should be

retained, safeguarded, and restored, in

accordance with PPG15.

■ For other non-listed buildings in the

conservation area there remains a general

presumption in favour of retention, where

they make a positive contribution to the

character or appearance of Ancoats.

Account will be taken of the part played

by the building in the architectural or

historic interest of the area and in

particular, of the wider effects of

demolition on the building's surroundings

and the conservation area as a whole.

■ The interior structures and plan forms of

historic buildings may well be of great

interest. Developers should provide listed

building impact assessments for all

conversion schemes involving listed

buildings and comprehensive appraisals

in other cases.

Prospective developers in Ancoats should in all

cases include as part of their research into the

development potential of the site, an initial

assessment of whether the site is known as

likely to contain archaeological remains. Where

necessary, redevelopment should be preceded

by the implementation of a programme of works

in accordance with a written scheme of

investigation, approved by the City Council.

Conservation of the historic character

of Ancoats is a prime consideration in

relation to development proposals.

Public Realm

Public realm works will be undertaken which

will reconcile the different requirements of

users of the public space. Vehicular movement

will not be the predominant consideration, in

this assessment. Improvements to the public

realm will also upgrade the appearance of the

shared environment and be a visible

demonstration that change is taking place in

Ancoats. The use of quality, durable materials

will be essential.

■ Great Ancoats Street has scope for public

art and signage to advertise the increased

activity in Ancoats and the Northern Quarter,

which should respect local heritage.

■ Improved pedestrian access across Great

Ancoats Street is essential.

■ Traffic management within the area will

facilitate essential movement by vehicles, but

at controlled speeds. Whilst there should be

parking for local people, commuter parking

will be discouraged. These objectives will be

met by modifying the traffic management

regime, narrowing streets, waiting restrictions

and some permit holder parking for residents.

■ Pedestrian movement should be promoted by

providing safe, well lit footpaths and using

measures that give priority to pedestrians

over traffic.

■ Pavement edge details and other features will

be emphasised with bands of setts, which will

be integrated into details of new

developments as they appear. Road edges will

have setted bands, which can be coloured

where required to show road markings.

Traditional iron kerb edgings will be retained.

■ Design and use of materials in the public

realm will recognise the needs of disabled

people for accessibility about the area.

■ The style and quality of street lighting will be

enhanced to provide for security and general

amenity. Specific lighting schemes for

particular buildings such as St. Peter's Church

tower, will be encouraged.

■ A public space will be created at the heart of

Ancoats. The space will evolve as the area

regenerates, responding to the developments

as they are created, but the intention is to

ensure that an area adjacent to St. Peters'

becomes the focal point of public activity

within the area.

■ Ancoats presents an opportunity to include

good quality urban art in the rejuvenation

process. Building owners or developers will be

encouraged to commission works of art as

part of their overall investment in

regeneration.

■ More detailed proposals for the Public

Realm are set out in Section 8 below.

Highways Network

It is accepted that Ancoats is a small

neighbourhood which cannot be seen in

isolation from City wide transportation matters.

Nevertheless, the following principles should be

highlighted.

■ Traffic calming measures will increase public

safety by lowering vehicle speeds as

described in the Public Realm Section 3.5

above. Rat running through Ancoats will be

discouraged through traffic management

measures.

■ Proposals will be implemented to create

strong north-south and east-west

movement, by:

i a south to north route along George

Leigh Street;

ii a north to south route using a

combination of Jersey Street and

Blossom Street;

iii an east to west route along Bengal

Street;

iv a west to east route along Radium

Street.

■ Road layout and traffic management

proposals will reflect the City Council's

policy about the hierarchy of road users,

to ensure that the highest priority is given

to the most vulnerable, such as pedestrians,

cyclists and disabled people.

■ Clear pedestrian and vehicular routes

should be established into Ancoats, in

particular into the heart of the Village from

the Northern Quarter. The three pedestrian

crossings over Great Ancoats Street should

be upgraded using materials and detailing

appropriate for the street and to aid

visibility. A fourth crossing could be

provided on the west side of the Lever

Street junction.

■ Provision for secure bicycle parking should

be included in development schemes and

within the public realm works where

possible.

■ The traffic management system will allow

for easy access through the area for a

possible bus route.

■ Linkages to the adjacent areas of Miles

Platting and the Cardroom Estate will be

improved in order that adjoining

communities can readily benefit from

the increasing employment opportunities

in Ancoats.

Car Parking

Some level of secure car parking is essential for

Ancoats. However, its proximity to the City

Centre means that commuter car parking could

inhibit development in Ancoats.

■ Developers should plan for a likely increase

in car ownership in Ancoats, as the number

of residents and the level of business

activity increases. Residents only parking

schemes will be considered.

■ Car parking within Ancoats should be

provided and managed in order to provide

for local need.

■ In the short-term, existing surface parking

will continue to be used. However, there

will be a presumption against new

commuter parking.

■ Any temporary surface car parking to meet

local needs must be appropriately enclosed

and landscaped, secure and supervised. The

visual impact of surface car parking should

be minimised.

■ Wherever possible, developers should

provide parking within the curtilage of

the site, or in shared multi-storey facilities.

Limited-stay, on-street parking will be

provided to ensure that people visiting

Ancoats for business or pleasure will be

able to park.

■ Car parking at basement level or inside

internal courtyards may be acceptable.

In historic buildings, particularly the mills,

such car parking arrangements would be

acceptable only where it did not harm the

internal and external character of the

building. It will not be acceptable to have

frontage car parking which sets buildings

back from the street.

■ For business premises, the emphasis will be

upon workable rather than ideal servicing

arrangements. Car parking will be restricted

to the operational minimum needed to make

the scheme work.

■ For residential schemes, the required level of

parking will depend upon the nature of the

development and the anticipated needs of

the occupants. Parking will be provided

where practicable, but where appropriate,

car-free schemes will be encouraged.

Sustainability

Successful development should be both

sustainable and flexible. The latest standards of

energy and insulation efficiency, waste

management and ICT communications, should

be incorporated into developments, wherever

possible. Adaptability of development can help

to guarantee long-term durability as uses

change over time.

■ Conversion of existing buildings to new

activities will be encouraged.

■ New buildings should be, energy efficient,

easy to maintain, vandal-resistant and

adaptable.

■ New developments should have sufficient

refuse storage space for segregated waste

collection.

■ All new buildings should seek to attain at

least "good" on the Building Research

Establishment's Environmental Assessment

Method (BREEAM) of assessing the

environmental impact of new buildings.

■ Salvaged materials should be re-used where

practicable, both building materials and

setts in the highway.

Stewardship and Security

Safety and security are vital elements in any

urban development. Planning and Architecture

can make a significant contribution to

everyone's sense of security. One of the most

effective measures for community safety and

crime prevention is the creation of lively,

lived-in urban areas and public spaces that

are easy to overlook and supervise.

■ The objective is to achieve a vibrant mixture

of facilities, which will bring life and

animation to Ancoats. Density of

development and mixed uses will enhance

people’s sense of personal safety and well-

being by encouraging a diversity of activity

on the streets throughout the day and

night.

■ Good quality crime prevention measures

should be included in designs from the start.

■ Security measures which foster a 'fortress

mentality' should be avoided.

■ Streets should encourage activity, and

buildings allow casual surveillance of the

street.

■ There should be a variety of routes through

the area.

■ There must be good accessibility for all

people in a safe and secure environment.

Adaptability of

development can help

to guarantee long-term

durability as uses change

over time.

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Lever Street

George Leigh StreetGeorge Leigh Street

Bloom Street

Hood Street

Blossom Street

Jersey Street

Naval Street

Newton Street

Blossom Street

Jersey Street

Port Street

Tib Street

Oldham Street

Swan

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Sherratt Street

Ben

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Ben

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Co

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Polan

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New Union Street

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ROCHDALE CANAL

This zone is bounded by Great Ancoats Street, Jersey Street,

Radium Street, and George Leigh Street. At its core is St.

Peter's Church where there is the potential to create an

area of public open space. This zone is shown on the

opposite page.

Character

This is the historic core of Ancoats, and contains many

buildings which helped provide for the needs of the working

population that once lived here. These buildings include

St. Peter's Church, St. Michael's Church and School, the

George Leigh Street School with its roof top playground,

the Women's night shelter, the Men's Hostel, and various

public houses such as the Edinburgh Castle. The Great

Ancoats Street frontage is characterised by a range of

highly distinctive buildings representing a variety of times

and styles.

Many of the historic buildings survive today including

workshops, warehouses, engineering works and mills such

as the Beehive Mill. The area attracted a wave of Italian

immigrants some of whom went into business within the

area, serving local need. Some of these buildings are still in

use but many are now vacant and at significant risk.

Planning Considerations

The key to understanding this area is the dense small-scale

pattern of development which once existed at its core,

packed closely around the narrow grid iron street pattern.

The continuous street frontages are, however, breaking

down and are gradually being lost, this is most evident

around the Smiths Arms, where the rest of the block has

been lost altogether.

There is scope to exploit Ancoats' long associations with

the Italian community, it was the key area in Manchester

and indeed the North West, in the history of Italian

immigration. Many Italian families have some connection

with the area and for many, this connection still exists as a

result of various Anglo-Italian societies, particularly related

to the Catholic Church of St. Michael's.

The regeneration of this area will be driven by a

combination of refurbishment projects and new build.

Restoration and re-use of historic buildings together

with good quality new development which respects the

existing urban grain and street pattern, will continue

the evolution of the area. There is a real opportunity to

achieve a strong mix of old and new built form containing

a variety of quality residential, commercial, retail and

workspace premises.

A vital step in the realisation of opportunities in this

area will be the creation of a new public space which

will enhance the setting of St. Peters', linking areas of

opportunity and providing a framework around which

buildings can fit.

Village Core

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Lever Street

George Leigh StreetGeorge Leigh Street

Bloom Street

Hood Street

Blossom Street

Jersey Street

Naval Street

Newton Street

Blossom Street

Jersey Street

Port Street

Tib Street

Oldham Street

Swan

Street

Mu

rray Street

Sherratt Street

Ben

gal Street

Ben

gal Street

Rad

ium

Street

Co

rnell Street

Ben

gal Street

Rad

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Street

Polan

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New Union Street

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ROCHDALE CANAL

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Pickford Street

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ROCHDALE CANAL

The key to the regeneration of the area will be restoration and re-use of historic

buildings together with good quality new development which respects the

existing urban grain and street pattern.

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Overview of proposals for the Village Core

There should be a hard landscaped open space

at the heart of the area enclosed by a

combination of refurbished buildings and new

construction. This is one part of a wider scheme

to improve the quality of the public realm in

Ancoats. The restoration of St. Peter's Church

should include an element of community use,

and the building known as the Ice Plant (29-33

Blossom Street) should accommodate a range of

activities. New, lively uses are to be

encouraged, with an emphasis upon

employment, leisure, and residential uses. The

variety of built form along Great Ancoats Street

should be retained as vacant sites are

redeveloped.

Proposals for the Village Core

More detailed proposals for this zone are:

■ St. Peter's Church should be enhanced by

the provision of quality urban space around

it, which can become a recognised meeting

place. Development around this space

should incorporate activities which spill out

onto it. The provision of active ground-floor

uses (for example, shops, bars, restaurants)

that attract people is essential. Other uses

could include new cultural activities, hotels,

residential, sports, commercial and

community activities. The design of the

public space must be of the highest quality

and take account of adjoining uses.

■ The new public space will unite existing and

new buildings which frame the space. It is

important that the space created reflects

the quality of urban life which should

develop here. This will involve careful

consideration of all aspects of the space

from the surface materials to the lighting

and signage. High quality detailing will be

required.

■ The scale of any new buildings on George

Leigh Street should respect the existing built

form on the other side of the street.

■ The relationship of new development to

Victoria Square should be carefully

considered, particularly with regard to

daylight standards and the activities

generated on George Leigh Street, such as

servicing to units or active shop fronts.

■ St. Peter's Church, through the efforts of

the Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust,

has already undergone substantial

restoration works to its structure. The

Church building sits at the heart of the

Village, and it is anticipated that it could be

developed for mixed use, with an element

that fulfils a community/social function.

The Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust is

currently considering the most appropriate

means of developing the Church, both in

terms of design, development funding and

end users.

■ The Ice Plant (29 - 33 Blossom Street) is an

important building in the history of the

area, and played a major role in its

development. Its refurbishment would have

a significant impact on Ancoats. Any

development scheme could include active

retail / commercial uses on the ground and

first floor, with at least three floors of

residential / commercial above. Restoration

of the Victorian Italianate architectural

detailing of the facade should be

undertaken. There is potential for a new

build extension of the Ice Plant to the west,

extending the building line to Sherratt

Street, to provide a strong, quality edge to

the new public space.

■ Opposite the Ice Plant on Blossom Street is a

group of existing run-down properties. Active

ground floor uses with residential/commercial

above will be encouraged. The site is in

several ownerships, part of which may be

required for open space around St. Peter's

Church. Development principles should

include small units (possibly workshops or