Outstanding leisure and environmental asset
This driver is the force creating a major leisure area for residents and visitors alike. Our green spaces will be alive with sports and activities. Our powerhouse heritage will be the showpiece attracting new visitors. A programme of events and festivals will continue to draw communities together. Residents ranked green walking and cycling routes as the second priority action for investment. Young people highlighted the importance of improving parks.
These 12 actions will develop an outstanding leisure and environmental asset:
Salford West industrial heritage hub will celebrate our heritage. 1758 saw the world’s first steamboat being built in Worsley and launched on the Bridgewater Canal. 1760 brought the first major canal and underground colliery, kick starting the transport and industrial revolution. Investment in projects such as the restoration of Old Warke Dam and Worsley Delph will draw visitors to the area, then link to heritage across the area. This will also secure valuable wet woodland habitats and enrich local biodiversity. (EL1)
Bridgewater Way will see £8 million invested in rejuvenating miles of canal through Greater Manchester including Salford, Cheshire and Merseyside. It will provide safe, accessible green walkways and cycle ways, as well as wider leisure opportunities including community events, fishing and boating. The project will be completed by 2011, the 250th anniversary of the opening of the canal. Work on the transformation of muddy paths to tidy walkways has already started in the Eccles area with support from Salford West. This work will continue, linking to marketing, community events and employment opportunities. (EL2)
Conservation areas and historic townscape protection, management and promotion will be essential in creating a sense of place, preserving and raising awareness of the area’s visible heritage and improving the built environment. (EL3)
Mosslands project offers a fantastic opportunity to protect an important peatland habitat and develop a number of sustainable future land uses such as farming, informal leisure and recreation. Actions will include working with local residents and stakeholders to shape the future vision for the area with studies into the area’s ecology. (EL4)
Croal Irwell Regional Park brings together a number of green space projects to create an urban playground for Greater Manchester. £4.75 million investment has already reclaimed the Lower Irwell Valley Improvement Area, with new play areas, accessible footpaths, planting, events space and cycle paths. Actions include developing this area into a well used local resource and investigating proposals to create one of Europe’s largest parks. (EL5)
Green trails provide links between residential areas, leisure areas, towns and employment opportunities. These are the green arteries of Salford West. An on-going programme of investment will continue, with £1.3 million improving 7 miles of loop lines. Accessible and well maintained walking and cycle paths will increase usage and promote healthy lifestyles. (EL6)
Parks and open spaces will build on the success of our two green flag country parks totalling 90 hectares of unspoilt countryside, woodland, grassland and wetland habitats. An increasing number of events in our parks open them up for all ages and interests with community festivals, carol singing and firework displays. The action plan supports plans to develop parks to meet national standards through the ‘Parks for People’ programme and the development of a green space rangers service to maximise the use of parks and green space. (EL7)
Manchester, Bury and Bolton Canal Restoration is currently seeing over £5 million invested in the preservation of the Middlewood area in Central Salford. The restoration of the canal will create a viable and navigational waterway, as well as an exciting and unique recreational and heritage resource for local residents and visitors. This will act as a catalyst for further regeneration and could deliver significant economic benefits and leisure opportunities. The action plan supports the continued restoration of the canal into the Salford West area. (EL8)
Establishing Salford West as a visitor destination will maximise the potential of a growing tourism industry in Greater Manchester. In 2006 tourism contributed £4.23 billion to the local economy in Greater Manchester . The number of visitors between 2000 and 2006 is estimated at around 98.8 million. The framework seeks to ensure Salford West increasingly benefits from this industry. The main action will be to develop a marketing action plan to positively promote the area as a place to visit and stay, with wider benefits for local residents and businesses. (EL9)
Enabling tourism in Salford West will ensure that Salford West can become a visitor destination. This action underlines the need to develop facilities such as quality accommodation, car parking, public transport, toilets, refreshments, catering and information - to meet the needs of visitors. (EL10)
Festivals and events have been going from strength to strength whether it be the Food and Drink Festival, International Golf Competition or the Winter Wonderland, which saw over 7000 people take to the ice. The framework supports the development of a captivating events and festivals programme, as well as promoting the wider benefits around local employment and community engagement. (EL11)
City of Salford stadium and leisure hub offers an exciting new facility to house the Salford Reds Rugby League team as well as wider hotel, restaurants, retail, conference and leisure facilities. The framework ensures partnership working so that the development reaches its full potential, opening up new employment opportunities to local people. (EL12)
This page was last updated on 3 October 2009
