A public consultation has opened Monday 26 June urging local people and businesses to have their say on the long-term vision for Moston Lane.
The Lane is the economic heart of the Moston neighbourhood and the Council has produced a development framework to help guide investment in the area over the coming years and support the area to meet its potential – including a new public square.
Moston Lane has been the heart of the local community for decades and boasts a number of heritage buildings alongside a range of local and independent shops and three small pocket parks.
However, visiting the district centre is undermined by the volume of traffic, informal car parking and limited opportunities for meeting and spending time in the area with friends and family.
The Lane also suffers from poor active travel opportunities, which means visitors are more likely to travel by car rather than walking and cycling.
A key aim of the proposals is to invest in a Moston Lane that puts people at the heart of the district centre – rather than the car – leading to a greener, more attractive and sustainable destination, enhancing the existing public spaces and creating a definite sense of place.
The Lane is surrounded by attractive green spaces – including Boggart Hole Clough, Moston Vale, Broadhurst Fields and Broadhurst Clough - and the proposals would look to promote improved sustainable travel through the wider neighbourhood.
The framework also responds to high demand for new housing in the city and the potential for Moston to support the delivery of more modern affordable family housing using across a number of identified sites.
The Moston Lane Development Framework sets out to:
- Create a new local centre and public square for Moston with a clear ‘sense of place.’ A place that offers space for the community, residents and local businesses to come together
- To provide more opportunities for visitors to spend longer together in Moston Lane in attractive new spaces which can support a vibrant programme of events
- Make more of and enhance the existing green public spaces
- Support Moston to be an attractive, safe and vibrant neighbourhood
- Create improved and safer streets that provide walking and cycling opportunities for all – and a more connected neighbourhood that is less car focused
- To enhance the choice and diversity of quality affordable and market homes - and improve the quality and management of existing housing
- Provide new, sustainable homes that integrate with existing streets
- Support local businesses to continue to prosper and promote opportunities for new retail and commercial units to grow
Announced earlier this year, the Council successfully bid for national funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which will be used to kick start the regeneration journey of Moston Lane.
£1million of this funding will be used for a range of projects in and around Moston Lane. These include providing enhancements to two public spaces at Moston Green and the Peace Gardens, investment in local heritage assets, as well as wider work to improve the local environment that includes new alley gates and commercial bin stores.
The public consultation will close on Friday 23 July and the findings will be presented to a future meeting of the Council’s executive committee.
Take part in the public consultation
Public drop-in sessions will take place at Simpson Memorial Hall:
Thursday 13 July, 3 – 6pm
Saturday 15 July, 12 noon – 3pm
Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said:
“Moston Lane is an important hub for local people and is home to a good range of independent shops – and some beautiful examples of historical buildings that really tell of the destination neighbourhood centre that it used to be, and indeed could be again.
“We shouldn’t deny that the Lane presents some challenges but this development framework presents a vision for Moston that will help the area meet its huge potential.
“The focus for us is to ensure that people are at the heart of the investment, creating a pedestrian-led high street that is greener and that promotes sustainable and active travel. We also have the opportunity to deliver a significant number of affordable homes and attract new residents to Moston.
“Importantly, we need feedback from the people who live and breathe Moston Lane. This input is invaluable and will help guide future development.”