The Save Pomona campaign, a push to preserve one of Manchester’s last urban green spaces is growing by the day, with over 1300 signatures on an online petiton.against plans to build two towerblocks on the Eastern part of the site.
Now campaigners have announced that August 13th will be Pomona Day, an all day event with people encouraged to bring along their cameras, sketchbooks and recording equipment to capture the beauty of the area.

Campaign insiders are scrutinizing the plans and applications, ecology reports and wildlife surveys in an attempt to gain a halt to the bulldozers and have the area recognized as having SBI ( Special Biological Importance) .

People are encouraged to report any wildlife sightings they feel are important here

Hayley Flynn, City Curator of Manchester for National Trust says:

“Not only is Pomona historically and ecologically important but the site has actually demonstrated incredibly successful examples of the kind of uses we want to see for its future. In Victorian Manchester the site was botanical gardens and tourist attractions. If we once had aspirations for the site such as this, why can’t we be as ambitious with it now.”

Campaign members are calling for time to present alternative ideas, to hold public discussions and ensure that every possibility for this loved and unique place be considered.

 Meanwhile campaigner Adam Prince has this to say: 

“This is a dangerous and cynical attempt for domino effect planning. By opening the island to 160 units, Peel speak of a masterplan of 2,500 units. This is exploitative cheap build planning that is unsustainable for the future.”

Campaign member Ash van Dyck says: “We are asking for sufficient time for public consultation, we want to look at what may be possible with this large and one off space and ask that there be nothing done yet, we want to consult with ecologists, landscape architects, wildlife and water experts, land management and clean energy professionals and lift every stone in an attempt to make the best use of Pomona for now and the future”

He adds

“So what can you do? go to Pomona, take your camera and explore, walk around, the blackberries are wonderful and the flowers are bright attracting hordes of bees, it is a beautiful place to spend a summer evening with friends just wandering from Castlefield down to the Quays or the other way round, we could recommend a pub at either end”

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