Designed by Buttress, the Hub forms a vital component of the third phase of regeneration that will transform Ancoats Green as the local community's green heart and unlock 1,500 new homes in Ancoats – including Manchester Council's first 'This City' housing project at Rodney Street and local housing by Manchester Life and other housing partners.
The Ancoats Mobility Hub supports Manchester’s ambition to become zero carbon by 2038, while enabling the City Council, Great Places and Manchester Life to deliver homes that will use the Hub for parking - reducing vehicle movement around the neighbourhood and allowing more development space to be allocated for active street fronts and community spaces.
The Hub is a new concept in urban design, developed in partnership between Manchester City Council and Manchester Life, designed by Buttress. It underpins the Ancoats' public realm strategy by prioritising green investment, public space, sustainable and active travel, and individual building design over space for car parking and vehicles.
Vehicle movements around Ancoats will be further reduced by the Hub's delivery centre, which will receive parcels and other deliveries, which will either be collected by residents or transferred to buildings via small electric vans and cargo bikes.
Other community facilities in the Hub include commercial space for local businesses adjacent to the renewed Ancoats Green to create a third high-quality public space in the neighbourhood, in addition to Cutting Room Square and the marina.
The Hub, equipped with EV charging, will also provide residents access to car share clubs and cycle hire schemes to reduce the need for vehicle ownership. It will include 150 secure cycle parking spaces with changing facilities for neighbourhood visitors.
The Mobility Hub in numbers
- 150 secure bike parking spaces and changing facilities
- 107 Electronic vehicle charging points, with the potential to increase in the future
- Up to 30 spaces for car club/car share schemes
- 406 car parking spaces for residents and visitors – limiting on-street car parking and on-site parking at future development sites (apart from disabled parking)
- 1370sqm of new public realm, connected seamlessly to Ancoats Green
- Over 1500sqm rooftop solar panels
- Over 400sqm of green wall and 950 sqm of planted façade
- Parcel delivery hub for final mile collection point **
- Space for a new café
- A new commercial unit
Matthew Burl, Buttress director commented:
“It’s a very interesting project as the aim of the project is to simultaneously discourage the use of on-street parking and to make room for more public open spaces, cycling and walking routes. A key element of this is minimising car parking in the public realm as well as around the residential buildings. This increases the possibility for more active frontages, community spaces and commercial opportunities within the built environment. By promoting EV charging the Ancoats Mobility Hub will help accelerate the move away from fossil fuel vehicles and improve air quality and protect the environment.“
Leader of the Council Bev Craig, said:
“The redevelopment of Ancoats over the last two decades is an exemplar in urban renewal. And rightly so – the neighbourhood is internationally renowned and has been named one of the best places to live globally.
“This next phase of regeneration gives us an opportunity to think differently about how our residents occupy and interact with the space they live in. The Mobility Hub is a key part of this – helping to put the pedestrian, active travel and green public space as the focus of the neighbourhood, rather than the car.
“Upcoming development will deliver 1,500 new homes and the transformation of the local park in this part of our city centre and the Hub ensures that Ancoats will be not just renowned for regeneration, but for its sustainability – creating a low carbon, green neighbourhood that should be a model for future city centre investment.”
Marty Edelman, Manchester Life's Executive Chairman, commented: "The Ancoats Mobility Hub proactively responds to climate, health, and sustainable transport priorities, and we congratulate the Council for their continued commitment to creating inclusive and healthy urban neighbourhoods brought to life by their vibrant communities.
"Manchester City Council leads the kind of urban planning initiatives that make Manchester unique among cities worldwide, and we are proud to have worked with the Council to develop the Hub concept. With parking removed from individual developments, Manchester Life and others can proceed with residential developments across the Poland Street area that prioritise space for local businesses, community interaction, and giving residents direct access to shared and sustainable transport choices."
Pauline Schaffer, Director - Infrastructure Funding at Homes England, commented: “The regeneration of Ancoats is an example of urban transformation and place-making at its best. As the introduction of the innovative Mobility Hub shows, there is real thought into how the neighbourhood works as a place to live now, and how it might need to work in the future, with provision for car share schemes and electronic vehicle charging points. Sustainability, great design, and a dedication to partnership working are at the heart of this project, and we’re proud to have supported Manchester City Council to bring this to life.”
The Mobility Hub has been part funded by Homes England for place-making and off-site infrastructure and Manchester Life.
The development is expected to completed by the end of 2024.
Matthew Burl
Matthew is an architect and director at Buttress who has led the successful design and delivery of new build and refurbishment projects across a range of cultural, academic and community-led sectors, both regionally and internationally.
He also coordinates the practice's sustainability activities and has led Buttress' B Corp journey helping the company achieve certification at the end of 2022.
Heather Leeson
Heather is a senior architect with experience across a broad range of commercial sectors, including workplaces, retail, hospitality and hotels.
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