Construction underway on Manchester mobility hub

“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.”

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 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 will be equipped with electric vehicle (EV) charging and 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
• 102 electronic vehicle charging points, with 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) 
• 1,370sqm of new public realm, connected seamlessly to Ancoats Green 
• more than 1,500sqm rooftop solar panels  
• more than 400sqm of green wall and 950sqm of planted façade 
• parcel delivery hub for final mile collection point 
• space for a new café  
• a new commercial unit.

The Mobility Hub has been part funded by Homes England for place-making and off-site infrastructure and Manchester Life. Bowmer + Kirkland is the contractor and Buttress the architect.

The upcoming phase of regeneration builds on the success of previous development by the city council, Manchester Life Development Company and other partners around Cutting Room Square and New Islington Marina.

The council’s This City development at Rodney Street includes 128 new low carbon homes – a mix of one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom townhouses – 30 per cent of which will be capped at the Manchester Living Rent.

Alongside this project, onsite development in this part of Ancoats includes 68 affordable homes at Downley Drive and 39 affordable homes at the historic Ancoats Dispensary site – both by Great Places Housing Group.

Manchester Life has received planning permission for 190 homes at Jersey Wharf and 118 homes at Eliza Yard and is working on plans for Phoenix Ironworks, which will see a further 256 homes, extensive outdoor areas and space for local creative industries.

All Manchester Life developments will use the H=hub for parking, aside from disabled parking spaces and secure cycle storage at each development.