03 July 2009
Newton Heath gets a £1 million makeover
Work has started on a £1 million pound makeover of the Newton Heath
district centre in east Manchester. Funded by the NWDA and
Manchester City Council, the work is being carried out by urban
regeneration company New East Manchester.
A range of improvements are designed to create a more attractive
shopping environment in Newton Heath for local residents and the
wider community which will encourage continued investment into the
area.
The work includes up-grading the main high street, Church
Street, and All Saints Street with new high quality paving and
installing new benches, bins and bollards and cycle racks.
The green space opposite the All Saints Church will also be
improved with better landscaping, paths and seating.
To make the area safer for pedestrians, traffic calming measures
will be put in place creating a 20 mile per hour zone and a
pedestrian crossing will be introduced on Drolysden Street near the
children’s centre.
The area is also to get new street lights with lampposts
designed to allow for hanging baskets and wired up ready for any
future CCTV cameras.
Better parking, with on-street parking bays will be provided and
new public car parking around the shops to encourage shoppers has
been incorporated into the plans. New signage will also be
installed including destination signs and signposts that will
direct people to local amenities.
Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester said: “We
have recognised for some time that Newton Heath was in need of
facelift so we are very pleased to have secured the funding from
our partners to carry out this work. Improving the look and feel of
the shopping area will make a dramatic difference to the centre of
this vibrant east Manchester neighbourhood. Not only will it create
a much more pleasant environment for local residents but we are
confident these improvements will encourage further investment and
attract more people to consider Newton Heath as a place to live,
work and visit.”
Mark Hughes, Executive Director, Economic Development at the
NWDA, said:
"High quality public spaces are vital to improving the image of an
area and encouraging investment. The improvements taking place in
Newton Heath will make a huge difference to the look and feel of
the area, making it a much more pleasant experience for the
community and visitors.
"I am pleased we have been able to invest in this important
project which complements our regeneration work throughout east
Manchester."
The work is being carried out by George Cox & Sons Ltd based in
Bolton in Lancashire, and will be complete by the end of the
year.
For more information about New East Manchester visit www.neweastmanchester.com.
Ends
Notes to editors:
New East Manchester Ltd (NEM) is an Urban Regeneration Company -
a partnership between Manchester City Council, the national housing
and regeneration agency Homes & Communities Agency and the
Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). It is NEM's
role to turn the Regeneration Framework into action, secure the
required public and private funding, lead on specific major
development projects and co-ordinate regeneration and renewal
initiatives in the area.
Roz Hughes
Press Officer
New East Manchester Ltd
187 Grey Mare Lane
Beswick
Manchester M11 3ND
E-Mail roz.hughes@manchester.gov.uk
Tel: 0161 223 1155 - press 1 ext 2167
Mob: 07967 800395