Work on ‘game-changing’ £28m Ancoats Mobility Hub gets underway
Set to complete by the end of next year, the next-generation multi-storey car park will hold space for 406 cars, 150 bicycles, 30 car shares, a parcel delivery hub, café, store, and nearly 15,000 sq ft of public realm.
Manchester City Council is delivering the project, which it hopes will lead towards Ancoats Green becoming a ‘people first’ neighbourhood.
The eight-storey Ancoats Mobility Hub will sit off Poland Street and provide for the community’s parking needs while reducing the space allocated for parking – space that can then be used for community areas and public realm. The hub would also reduce traffic through the neighbourhood.
“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,” said Marty Edelman, executive chairman of Manchester Life.
He added later: “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.”
Main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland is currently on site with the scheme, which will also feature more than 16,100 sq ft of rooftop solar panels.
B+K regional pre-construction director Ben Goldstraw said “After progressing the exciting Ancoats Mobility Hub for many months, Bowmer + Kirkland is delighted to commence construction, continuing our successful partnership with Manchester City Council to deliver an outstanding facility that aligns with our joint values of sustainability and social value.
“Procured through the North West Construction Hub framework, Ancoats Mobility Hub is a true example of collaboration at its best, with many stakeholders working together to provide a game-changing, ‘UK-first’ facility that prioritises low carbon and digital connectivity,” he continued.
The Ancoats Mobility Hub has been designed by architect Buttress and landscape architect Planit-IE.
Buttress director Matthew Burl said: “It’s a very exciting 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,” he said. “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.“
Kennedy Redford is the project’s parking, civil, and structural engineer, while Harley Haddow is handling MEP and sustainability. WSP is the transport and traffic consultant and Design Fire Consultants is advising on fire safety.
Funds for the £28m project come from Homes England.
Homes England director of infrastructure funding Pauline Schaffer said: “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 Ancoats Mobility Hub will unlock the delivery of 1,500 homes, according to Manchester City Council. This includes plans for 128 low-carbon homes off Rodney Street, a project being delivered by the city council’s housing development company This City.
Other projects that will benefit from the hub include Great Places’ plans for 68 affordable homes off Downley Drive and 39 affordable homes on the site of the old Ancoats Dispensary. Manchester Life’s 190-apartment Jersey Wharf, 118-flat Eliza Yard, and 256-home Phoenix Ironworks will also utilise the space for part of their parking provisions – in addition to providing disability bays on each development site.
Regarding Ancoats’ future and the mobility hub’s place in it, Manchester City Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “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.”
Planning consent for the Ancoats Mobility Hub was secured in July 2021 by Deloitte. Developer Manchester Life assisted Manchester City Council with the design and planning process. The planning application’s reference number on the Manchester City Council planning portal is 130627/FO/2021.
While its been great that the post office can take my parcels its an outdated concept to expect me to be in all day and have delivery drivers make 100 drops and only open till 6pm.
I resent the fact when I live in a 1 bed apartment building I had 3 flights of stairs and nowhere to store my bike.
As much as this can be presented as a fancy car park, if it was around when I was in my apartment I’d have ran at the chance to use it. I quite like it.
By Anonymous
Urm… isn’t this a car park? Or is this what we just called them in yester-year? Yes, all-be-it with bike racks. But essentially a car park. Can 406 car park spaces to 150 bike spaces really generate mode-shift? Isn’t mode-shift the real policy ambition behind ‘mobility hubs’? But I must be wrong because it’s a fancy ‘mobility hub’ with green wall.
By Anonymous
What’s “game changing” about building a car park with solar panels ?
By Anonymous
“Mobility Hub”? Is that what they call multistorey car parks these days?
By Ian Hart
Truly horrendous and ugly and a absolute disgrace when all parking should be underground like in France leaving space for gardens and public spaces or even affordable housing .
By Anonymous
MCC can delude themselves all they want but this is a car park, nothing “game changing” about it
By Anonymous
This is a great step forward in bio-diversity for this previous industrial site.
By Bumble Bee
I’ll believe the green walls when I see them. Also a massive shame that it blocks what could have been a direct route from Ancoats to Ancoats Green, the only real bit of green space in the area.
By Anonymous
You would imagine that a mobility hub would connect multiple modes together? No tram, bus or bike hire (from what I’ve seen). Its a glorified carpark, albeit a nicer looking one with a bit of a bike store – surely there should be an equal number of bike parking spaces to carparking tho if we are truly prioritising active travel.
By Anonymous
And Strangeways is a rehabilitation hub.
By Anonymous
To people who don’t live in the area, this will seem underwhelming. But as someone who has lived in Ancoats/New Islington for over ten years this will have a massive impact. Hopefully it will get rid of on street parking, thereby reducing vehicle crime and congestion providing a single nodal point for those that need a car but are without parking. It will also reactivate a vital bit of green space and begin the next phase of the Ancoats expansion. Oh, and somewhere to pick up parcels without multiple delivery trucks everywhere will be fantastic!
By Anonymous
I’ve been wondering for months what a “mobility hub” was. Thanks to all the commentators who have clarified this is a car and bike park 🙂
By Mancunian
‘To people who don’t live in the area, this will seem underwhelming. But as someone who has lived in Ancoats/New Islington for over ten years this will have a massive impact’
Couldn’t agree more, this will have significant impact to the area which is becoming increasingly populated. My hope is the Council will make an appealing offer to residents, commuters and businesses to use it.
By Anonymous
You can see the reasons why people are going to pile-on here, but aggregating parking and logistics so an area can be car light feels like something we should at least try. I wonder if it’s successful it will roll out to Victoria North.
By Rich X
“Next-generation multi-storey car park”.
It’s just putting lipstick on a pig.
By MrP
Car parking for residents only (perhaps over-night car parking for residents only)? Or no-car residents allowed in Ancoats; otherwise go and iive in Alderly Edge, Cheshire?
By Anonymous
Looking forward to this being complemented by a strong, no-nonsense enforcement plan that clears the Ancoats street scene of SUVs and high-powered vanity vehicles.
By Active Travel Trev
I like the ‘lipstick on a pig’comment and have to agree. This is simply a car park next to the only green space in Ancoats – feels more like “pave over paradise to put up a parking lot” than a sound move in a climate crisis I wait to see the cost of parking there and whether it was simply a scheme to save developers the cost of building underground carparking.
By Anonymous
A car park is a car park by any other name. Can’t wait to see what they come up with to rename Davyhulme sewage works.
By BJ