Plans for the development of the New Cross area of Manchester are to be considered by the council’s executive committee at a meeting later this week.

The much neglected area bounded by Swan Street to the south; Livesey Street to the north, Rochdale Road and Bromley Street to the west and Oldham Road to the east, contains a significant number of vacant and underutilised sites and a number of large previously-developed land parcels, which present opportunities for large-scale development according to the council.

The plans include a range and mix of residential accommodation that similar to Ancoats, will be informed by the historic grid street grid patterns of the area.

Any development will be restricted to a maximum of eight storeys and will pay deference to the requests of a public consultation earlier this year which showed worries of the late night activities of Northern Quarter bars by restricting usage not beyond 11pm.

The redevelopment will also respect heritage assets along with buildings of cultural and built environment value, including a number of Victorian warehouse and early 20th Century industrial buildings.

At this stage there would be no plans to reroute the inner ring road which currently cuts through the area.

Historically, New Cross derived its name from an area of public space at the centre of four important thoroughfares (Oldham Road; Oldham Street; Great Ancoats Street and Swan Street) that served as a key location for traders and as a hub for social and community activity.

The area on,y began to be development during the early part of the nineteenth century with Initial clusters of buildings located facing Newton Lane (now Oldham Road), with the centrepiece of the site being St George’s Church which constructed in 1798.

The report notes the areas proximity to a thriving City Centre and is likely to be attractive to those who want to live within a short walk, cycle, drive or bus/tram ride from the city centre, rather than in the heart of this activity as well as being adjacent to the City’s Northern Quarter

The area is in close proximity to range of natural green spaces; including St Michael’s Flags and Angel Meadow, New Islington Marina and Cotton Field Park, as well as Heaton Park and Philips Park via the Metrolink network, with good access to both the Rochdale and Ashton Canals and the Lower Irk Valley, providing further opportunities for leisure and recreational activities.

The report establishes “New Cross as a key edge of city centre neighbourhood that will play a pivotal role in accommodating new residential and commercial development; creating an environment that seamlessly knits the area into the growth and extension of the city centre northwards over the next ten to fifteen years.”

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