Public-private partnership set to transform key Manchester site

This year, the Mayfield Development Partnership will be bringing forward planning applications for the first phase of what will eventually be a £1bn regeneration scheme to transform a 24-acre gateway site next to Piccadilly station in Manchester, including the creation of a new 6.5-acre park. The Partnership, a joint venture between U+I and public sector partners Manchester City Council, London & Continental Railways and Transport for Greater Manchester, is united in its ambition and intent to create an iconic new neighbourhood for Manchester over the next decade. The site, including the former Mayfield station, will potentially provide 1,300 homes, 75,000 sq m of office space, a 350-bedroom hotel, retail and leisure facilities and the new city park, creating more than 7,500 office, retail, leisure and construction jobs. The long-term proposals – true to the Partnership’s pledge at MIPIM 2017 to curate a “soulful transformation” of the site – will seek to enhance many of the site’s historical features, including developing and improving the River Medlock, which flows through the site. The intention is to maintain the historical buildings and make the most of the area’s built heritage. U+I was formally appointed as the development partner for the new Mayfield Quarter in December 2016. One of the largest developments in the city region, we feel a deep responsibility to Manchester to ensure that Mayfield will create lasting benefits for all. With a £9.5bn portfolio of complex, mixed-use, community-focused regeneration projects, including a £140m investment portfolio, U+I specialises in unlocking urban sites that are bristling with currently untapped potential. Bringing new life Since its establishment at the end of 2016, the Mayfield Partnership has been working with community, cultural and entrepreneurial organisations to foster short-term worthwhile uses bringing new life and energy to Mayfield while the wider development is brought forward. There has also been widespread consultation and connection with local communities on the plans for the site. Mayfield is a truly unique site in the city, and we have opened it up to reintroduce it to Manchester and Manchester to it. Central to the first phase of the development will be our exciting plans for the new park, which is such a distinctive asset for our development, integrating with the existing River Medlock. It will be an invaluable asset, not just for Mayfield, but for the whole city region. We’ve gone to significant lengths to engage with stakeholders on precisely what the park should look and feel like, so we’re very excited about revealing the proposed designs this summer. Strategic location It would be difficult to overstate the strategic importance of Mayfield to the future growth of the city, and how it will enhance the area around Piccadilly station, creating new jobs and homes. Mayfield will be a critically important part of Manchester’s inward investment story over the next decade, and we are working closely with agencies such as Marketing Manchester to ensure that we are collaborating on opportunities as they arise. Since the formation of the Partnership nearly two years ago, we have focused on learning about the heritage of this site and listening to a wide range of people about what they would like to see here. This has been invaluable in helping shape our long-term vision for Mayfield. While doing this, we have brought part of the site back to life by working with small businesses, artisans and community organisations and providing them with a base or event space. We’ve also been hosting significant international cultural events on behalf of Manchester International Festival, and this year will be hosting Manchester Pride Live. We expect to bring forward the first phases of development proper this year, subject to planning consent, so the new Mayfield Quarter will start to emerge in a very tangible way over the next 24 months. Click here for further details of Mayfield Manchester. The history of the site 1782 – Thomas Hoyle establishes the Mayfield Print Works on the edge of Manchester on the site of a former country house. He chooses Mayfield because of the ready access to the water provided by the River Medlock. 1800s – Hoyle and his descendants master methods of printing colours (particularly purple) onto calico cloth and make the family’s fortune. 1910 – Following the erosion of calico prices by cheaper imports, the Print Works are demolished and replaced with the new Mayfield railway station. 1910-1940 – The station expands to cater for the increasing passenger numbers from across Manchester’s southern suburbs. 1940 – Mayfield suffers the effects of bombing during the Second World War, being hit by a parachute mine in December 1940. 1960 – Mayfield station closes following an increase in capacity at nearby Piccadilly railway station. 1970 – After a decade of disuse the site reopens as a Royal Mail parcel depot, benefiting from its easy access to the rail network. 1986 – The depot closes as Parcelforce, Royal Mail’s parcels division, decides to abandon rail transport in favour of road haulage. The tracks are removed three years later. 1986-2013 – Mayfield sees occasional use, including as an indoor karting track and as a filming location for programmes including Prime Suspect and The Last Train. 2013 – After years of abandonment and many failed development schemes, the station roof is dismantled. 2016 – U+I formally appointed as development partner for the £1.1 billion regeneration of Mayfield 2017-2018 – Mayfield opens up to the public for activities including a weekly street food fair and events forming part of the Manchester International Festival.  Present – Small businesses, artisans and community organisations are using part of the site to bring it back to life prior to development work beginning this year. Source: U+I