The green vision for Manchester’s newest city centre neighbourhood, Circle Square, has been unveiled.
Landscaping plansfor the former BBC site on Oxford Road feature vibrant public realm and green space with lawns, river parks and gardens and over a thousand new plants, flowers, trees and shrubs. 

The new neighbourhood from Bruntwood and Select Property Group will provide a colourful place for living, working, shopping and socialising unlike anywhere else in the city.
Three distinctive ‘character’ areas in the neighbourhood have been designed to create a rich and diverse environment for visitors, workers and residents to escape their daily routine.

The first, and possibly the most striking, will be a beautiful grassed area framed by mature and urban-friendly plane trees, and pocket gardens while a low rise pavilion underneath will feature singular and ever changing events throughout the year. This inviting space, surrounded by a ribbon of restaurants, cafés, bars and shops, will be alive from morning to night.

Alongside the River Medlock, a walk will bring beauty, greenery and wildlife to Circle Square as it becomes a riverside park with new paths and spaces that will reconnect this part of the city with the river. It will create a tranquil space away from the bustling streets with the water, native planting, reflective garden spaces nurturing a diverse range of species, such as bees, butterflies and other insects rarely found in urban places.

Finally, there will be a green street close to the river, with trees and shrubs running the length of it., smaller in scale and full of character with independent shops and restaurants, pocket gardens and relaxing outdoor seating areas for people to get together.

Ed Lister, Managing Partner at Planit-IE, the landscape architects helping to create Circle Square, said:  

“From the very start, the JV partners behind Circle Square had a clear vision of what it wanted to be – diverse, innovative and extraordinary. Our role throughout the design process has been to capture this ambition and create a canvas capable of hosting and framing the memories of residents, workers and visitors for years to come. 

“The creation of a generous green space at the heart of the development and new riverside park will help to define the neighbourhood, whilst also making a significant contribution to Manchester’s wider green infrastructure.”
Paula Brockwell, Lead Psychologist and Head of Client Delivery at business wellbeing experts Robertson Cooper, said: “It is widely recognised that there is a direct correlation between a person’s living and working environment to their health, happiness and overall wellbeing.
“We have carried out various research which show that by integrating green spaces and natural elements, it can significantly impact on energy levels, productivity and creativity so it is fantastic to hear this is happening in Manchester at Circle Square.

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