Strangeways and Cambridge Strategic Regeneration Framework executive summary

A Strategic Regeneration Framework, or SRF, is a visionary document which guides future development and indicates the sort of development which is considered acceptable in certain locations. The SRF does not give planning permission or set planning policy, but once approved the framework will become a ‘material planning consideration’ for the purpose of future planning applications. This means that the contents of the framework will be considered when planning applications are considered.

Figure 1: A map of the Strangeways and Cambridge SRF boundary.

The Strangeways and Cambridge SRF boundary is situated in a complex urban area, which includes established business and residential communities, major institutions such as HMP Manchester and the Manchester College, and important routes connecting the wider community to the city centre.

Businesses and residents

The SRF area is home to a significant scale of economic activity, with over 14,000 jobs provided within c.3,100 businesses. There is a strong long-standing business base, including the Cambridge Industrial Estate, the Strangeways commercial district, and parts of Cheetham Hill. Some of these areas are covered by the Great Ducie Street SRF (2018) and Former Boddingtons’ Brewery SRF (2019). 

There are two distinct residential areas, one long-standing community to the west of Cambridge Industrial Estate and a second concentration of newer homes around Cheetham Park. The existing residential community in the area is under 2,000 people across c.1,000 dwellings (ONS, Census 2021).

The Economic Analysis document (Adobe PDF format, 11.7mb) that has been published alongside the SRF sets out the policy, demographic, economic and real estate contexts of the area in more detail.

Flood risk

The Cambridge area of Salford, and some areas off Great Ducie Street / Bury New Road sit alongside the River Irwell. The area is known to have a long history of flood risk, with the most recent major flood to impact the area occurring as part of the Boxing Day floods of 2015, when some 400 homes were flooded in the Lower Broughton area, with damage also caused to the now demolished Mocha Parade and some businesses within and around the Cambridge Industrial Estate. 

The Environment Agency publishes flood maps to show the risk of flooding across England. Current flood maps show most of the Cambridge area, and parts of Great Ducie Street / Bury New Road as in flood zones 2 and 3. Flood zone 2 has a probability of flooding of 0.1-1% (medium risk) and flood zone 3 more than 1% (high risk) each year.

Significant investment has been made to manage flood risk in Salford to try and reduce the risks to residents and businesses. In 2005 the Littleton Road flood basin was completed, followed in 2018 by the delivery of the second flood storage reservoir at the former Castle Irwell site. These basins, alongside other flood risk alleviation measures, means that the current flood risk for the area is described as low for flooding from rivers and sea.

Although existing flood defences provide protection for homes and businesses today, when considering future development as we are in the SRF, National Planning Policy requires the assessment to consider climate change (NPPF; Flood Risk Assessments: Climate Change Allowances – GOV.UK). Evidence suggests that rainfall events are becoming more intense and lasting longer, principally due to climate change. In a city we also need to think about more impermeable surfaces due to urbanisation. As a result, we are experiencing higher peak flows of water in rivers and watercourses. The anticipated impact on water flows due to changes in the future climate are assessed by applying a percentage uplift to baseline modelling, known as ‘climate change allowance’. The EA has confirmed as part of the SRF process that a 35% climate change allowance should be factored into baseline modelling for this area of the City in line with the agreed national policy. 

In this future scenario, homes and businesses around the Cambridge area and Moulton Street will no longer be protected from flood events that have a 1% or greater chance of occurring in any one year.

The SRF is underpinned by a Development Flood Risk Management Proposals and Justifications Report (Adobe PDF format, 31,6mb), which assesses the flood risk of the SRF area and sets out a number of development principles, alongside their justification, for any future works taking place in the areas that are affected by flood risk.

Land use

The predominant land use across the SRF area is employment of a mixed nature but largely classified as light industrial, local/regional logistics, distribution/wholesale warehousing, and retail. HMP Manchester sits in the centre of the area, a dominant single use area which is closed off to the wider community.

The SRF area is located on the ‘city fringe’ and sits in a largely residential wider context, including traditional suburban areas such as Cheetham and Broughton to the north and west, and higher urban density to the south and east including Greengate, the Green Quarter and Red Bank. 

The SRF area has also started experiencing land use transition, including the Great Ducie Street and Former Boddingtons SRF areas, with diversification and new development from historic employment uses.

Heritage and culture

The area has rich heritage dating back to the 1700s. Although most of the surviving built heritage is from the 1890s and 1900s. The area is a mix of large industrial spaces and more tightly packed terraced streets.

The area has many listed heritage buildings and assets. These include the former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, parts of HMP Manchester, Cheetham Park, the former Victoria Theatre and 122 Great Clowes Street. 

The area also has several buildings in the area that have ‘observed heritage value’ based solely on their architectural contribution to the former industrial character of the area. These include 1 and 40 Cottenham Lane, 2-22 Empire Street and 1 Derby Street. 

The SRF area also has many existing cultural assets and venues and is home to a wide range of activities with a local, national and even international audience. The likes of The Yard, The White Hotel, Manchester Jewish Museum and the Manchester College Campus promote the role of culture in the area.

Open space

A number of existing green open spaces are within and proximate to the SRF area. Provision within the area is currently limited in scale and character, which undermines amenity provision for the local residents and businesses. Cheetham Park and Irwell River Park are the only current green open spaces identified in the area.

Housing

Whilst there is currently a limited private housing market within the SRF area, there are significant areas of residential surrounding the boundary. Supply continues to lag behind demand in the city centre and rents in the city centre continue to increase rapidly with the average two-bed rent currently over £1,400pcm – a 45% increase since 2018-19. 

The areas around Strangeways are not currently amongst the higher priced parts of the city centre market, partly due to the lower quality and amenity offer compared to recent developments.

Movement and infrastructure

The design and character of the streets in the SRF area is a reflection of the historical and contemporary employment uses of the area. There is car parking on the streets throughout the area, with few direct crossing opportunities for pedestrians and very limited cycle provision.

Sub-areas within the SRF boundary have scores ranging from 5-8 on the Greater Manchester Accessibility Level (GMAL), indicating good accessibility by public transport, particularly in the southern areas that are closer to Manchester Victoria Station.

Building on the history of Strangeways and Cambridge the area w

In the future, Strangeways and Cambridge will be a connected set of unique and vibrant neighbourhoods, connecting into the centres of both cities. Public and private investment will gradually increase the long-term success and resilience of Strangeways and Cambridge over the next two decades. 

This could include the relocation of HMP Manchester, the creation of new business and workspaces, more green spaces, and new homes (including affordable homes). All of this will contribute to Greater Manchester’s growth ambitions.

Objective 1: Evolving the economic contribution of the area.

Providing modern and improved business premises and workspaces to help new and existing businesses grow and become more resilient. This will create space for innovation and creativity, helping to create more economic and employment opportunities for people in Strangeways, Cambridge and beyond.

Objective 2: Ensuring development is of the highest quality.

Making sure that development is mixed, including new residential, business, green or public space and community uses (e.g. health and education). This also means making sure building materials are robust and well maintained.

Objective 3: Embracing nature-based solutions to water management.

Managing water and flood risk by creating a large green space and other smaller green spaces which support wildlife, provide flood risk and water management, and enhance Manchester and Salford.

Objective 4: Promoting a vibrant city fringe.

To create and improve connections and entry points between Strangeways and Cambridge, the city centre and the neighbouring communities of North Manchester and Salford.

Objective 5: Supporting healthy and sustainable movement choices for all.

Creating safe, resilient and inclusive streets. This will help us all to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport more and connect better to the city centre and other local areas.

Objective 6: Celebrating heritage and culture.

Respecting the heritage of Strangeways and Cambridge by keeping historic buildings or assets where possible amongst new buildings. This ensures that as the area changes overtime, we keep the heritage and local character.

The vision and objectives have been incorporated into a spatial framework to guide investment and development across the area.

Figure 2: SRF Spatial Framework Diagram.

Land use

Figure 3: SRF Land Use Strategy Diagram.

The SRF builds upon planning policy to articulate land uses the councils want to see across the Strangeways and Cambridge area.

In line with emerging planning policy and reflecting the existing Great Ducie Street SRF, the SRF recognises the potential to deliver a ‘City Centre’ mix through future development. In the emerging policy context, a ‘city centre’ mix could also include consideration of hotel, retail, leisure, entertainment, cultural and tourism facilities development.

The SRF recognises that there are some existing ‘key anchors’ in the area which should shape future land use strategy. These include Private White V.C., Joseph Holts Brewery and HMP Manchester.

The SRF places the future economic role of the area at its heart, respecting the history of the area but recognising the change that is happening in the area. Investment is needed to deliver fit for purpose business space and improve the wider operating environment, including business intensification. 

In areas where future flood risk is identified, including climate change allowance, exceeding 1m flood water depth in a flood event, the SRF identifies the potential to deliver an area of strategic green space, under a working title of ‘Copper Park’. In areas of future flood risk below the 1m flood depth threshold, less vulnerable uses, such as commercial, that are designed as flood resilient development could be supported.

A number of key areas that could provide amenity, services and resources to support the neighbourhoods are identified as ‘High Street’ Corridors. The term ‘high street’ is distinct from its planning policy context and has different characteristics based on the area.

• Commercial High Street – Bury New Road, Cheetham Hill Road and Knowsley Street
• Manufacturing High Street – Derby Street
• Commercial Green Space Frontage – Overbridge and Empire Street

High quality residential development in appropriate locations will create a vibrancy currently lacking in the area and will support wider economic growth ambitions. The SRF recognises this and seeks to build on the new residential development that is already coming forward in the area in line with the existing Great Ducie Street SRF.

Scale and massing

Figure 4: SRF Scale and Massing Strategy Diagram.

Whilst the SRF does not set specific limits for building heights, it provides guidance which should be used by landowners and developers to inform a sound approach.

The SRF guidance broadly reflects the continuation of established guidance within the Great Ducie Street and Former Boddingtons Brewery SRFs and permitted schemes in the area. The guidance also identifies more pronounced height potential in key locations including frontages onto strategic open space, the river corridor, and the interface between city centre massing and contextual where infill may need to be considered. This includes the gradual variation of heights between distinct urban areas.

Streets, movement, servicing and parking

Figure 5: SRF Street Typologies Strategy Diagram.

The SRF identifies that a clear street hierarchy, prioritising active travel and providing for servicing and parking will support the vision for the Strangeways and Cambridge area.

• High Street – this street type has a balance of movement and place function. Bury New Road, Cheetham Hill Road and Derby Street all currently have this characteristic, with the potential to be enhanced through investment. 
• Connector Street – located mostly on the periphery of the SRF area, these streets allow people and goods to move between key centres and are important active travel and public transport routes. 
• Neighbourhood Streets – identified to have the potential to form the majority of the street network in the SRF area, making pleasant and easy connections to public transport by walking and cycling. 

Three important radial routes (Great Ducie Street/Bury New Road, Cheetham Hill Road and Blackfriars Road/Great Clowes Street) are also identified for intervention at key junctions.

The proposed street typologies mentioned previously create material opportunities to support innovative and efficient servicing and delivery arrangements across the area.

Over time, the SRF aims for public parking provision across the area to be controlled, based on appropriate analysis, modelling and consultation. It is proposed that Manchester City Council should explore options to provide a ‘mobility hub’ in this area. 

Green and blue infrastructure 

Figure 6: Green and Blue Strategy Principles.

The SRF aims to establish a coherent network of green and blue infrastructure. The creation of a large strategic open green space, Copper Park, responds to the flood risk and creates new wildlife habitats. It is also proposed to retrofit streets and public space with nature-based SuDS infrastructure at a scale that can have a meaningful positive impact on the surface water flood risk across the study area.

The principles of the proposed green and blue strategy are:

• Enhance, expand and connect: enhance and expand existing green assets and create new green corridors as key pathways and connections between green spaces.
• Clear active travel routes: Establish clear accessible paths that connect key green and civic spaces through sustainable movement in a safe and efficient way. 
• Green and blue street grid: Blue streets will control water transfer, whilst green streets will enhance urban character and improve liveability. 
• Confetti of open spaces: Establish a vibrant network of interconnected public open spaces, with improved existing and newly defined spaces offering amenity, biodiversity and social value benefits.

Heritage

Figure 7: Potential Network of Heritage Assets.

The heritage strategy favours the retention of heritage assets wherever possible, including the careful assessment of designated listed and ‘observed heritage value’ buildings.

Beyond seeking investment in the existing built heritage across the area, the SRF identifies a walkable ‘network of heritage assets’. Through wayfinding, street based information, ‘Blue Plaque-Style’ signalling and promotion of walking routes, a network of assets could be established, connecting the heritage assets in the following locations:

• Cheetham Hill Park
• Derby Street
• Cheetham Hill Road
• Dutton Street
• Cottenham Lane
• Victoria Theatre Cluster
• Bury New Road

The SRF area has been divided into seven neighbourhoods to identify how the design and development proposals could be applied in different sub-areas across the SRF boundary. The seven neighbourhoods identified are distinct in their existing character and their future contribution to the place. 
 

Figure 8: Neighbourhood Boundaries Strategy Diagram.

HMP Manchester and Jury Street

The SRF has identified that the catalyst for any material change within this neighbourhood will be the relocation and closure of HMP Manchester as an operational prison. At the time of preparing the SRF, there are no plans for the facility to be relocated.

In the event of the closure of HMP Manchester, the SRF notes a long-term opportunity to create a new neighbourhood incorporating the adjacent Jury Street area to the west of the prison, itself a vital gateway location for the city centre.

Given the ultimate potential of this area will only be realised alongside decision making associated with HMP Manchester, the SRF neighbourhood guidance is therefore considered in two phases: 
 

Figure 9: HMP Manchester and Jury Street Strategy Diagram (HMP Remains).

Immediate to medium term: 

• Assumed to be a period covering the next 10-15 years, reflecting the time anticipated in relation to prison relocation decision making and implementation.
• No change is anticipated to land use or scale and massing, and the area is anticipated to retain an employment focus, with commercial units in areas of future flood risk. 
• Opportunity to respect the existing and historic street pattern, connecting into the new park environment. 

Figure 10: HMP Manchester and Jury Street Strategy Diagram (HMP Closes).

Long term: 

• Assumed to be 15 years plus, reflecting the long-term ambition around the potential prison closure.
• The creation of a new high-quality neighbourhood adjacent to the city centre. 
• Re-use of the existing listed prison buildings for commercial and visitor uses. 
• Exploration of removal of prison wall infrastructure, subject to securing listed building consent. 
• A positive response to future flood risk, including accommodation of floodable ground floors within any new buildings constructed in areas at risk.
• Opportunity for new development to respect the existing and historic street pattern, connecting into the new park environment. 

Derby Street

The Derby Street-Broughton Street axis will retain its role as the heart of the urban economy in Strangeways, delivering new purpose-built and retrofitted space that meets the needs of both ‘traditional’ and ‘new’ occupiers. 
 

Figure 11: Derby Street Strategy Diagram.

Neighbourhood guidance:

• A mix of small and medium sized light industrial and warehouse spaces will provide a home for future wholesaling, production, making and creation activity across a range of sectors that are not otherwise catered for in the city.
• Through innovation, including stacked typologies, there will be opportunities to deliver ‘lighter’ uses on upper floors such as workshops, studios and flexible offices, encouraging a greater range of activities and an increase in commercial floorspace.
• Townscape of any infill development across the employment focused areas of the neighbourhood in line with the current height and massing of the area, retaining the character of the area and recognising the need to manage heights given the proximity to suburban areas of the city to the north and west.
• Enhancement of active travel throughout the area, whilst accommodating space for formal on-street servicing. 

Copper Park

Copper Park has the potential to be a sub-regional destination and attractor of visitors. It could be multifunctional, providing new amenity, play and recreation space to local residents and visitors from further afield. 

Copper Park can be strongly connected to the existing Green Grosvenor Park across Great Clowes Street to make sure that both work together as a connected larger green space; it can also seamlessly connect with the proposed Irwell River Park and integrate into the broader urban area through active travel routes.

It also represents an opportunity to enhance biodiversity – to introduce new habitats and promote nature recovery, including wetland and wildlife corridors. These habitats would celebrate water and be multi-functional in nature, thereby re-naturalising water management, including facilitating surface water runoff, attenuation and connection with the River Irwell.

To be delivered over time, it has the potential to benefit from a reimaged Victoria Theatre and an enhanced Private White innovation and visitor hub, as key cultural and economic assets that will underpin the character of this new city centre park.
 

Figure 12: Copper Park Strategy Diagram.

Neighbourhood guidance

• The Copper Park neighbourhood will be an almost exclusively open space area – with the only built form being buildings and structures that are retained for heritage or recreational / amenity purposes.
• SUDs infrastructure will connect into a wider network of routes across the SRF area, feeding into bio-retention reservoirs within the park environment.
• A new city centre nature reserve could be created at Copper Park, including lower areas of floodable land within the area.
• Areas of retained and newly planted woodland to add richness and diversity into open space created across the neighbourhood.
• Provision of leisure and recreational amenities to support the existing and future community across Salford, the city centre, and visitors.
• The urban context for the park can be celebrated and visitors attracted through event space created.
• The eastern edge of Copper Park is contained by the Overbridge neighbourhood which highlights an opportunity to create an urban gateway and commercial park entrance.

Overbridge

Acting as the gateway to Copper Park from the city centre, this will be an area of significant residential potential, but with important economic assets and heritage.

Fronting the new city centre park, there will be opportunities to create appropriate uses that can ‘spill out’ and activate the park environment, providing additional amenities for all park users.
 

Figure 13: Overbridge Strategy Diagram.

Neighbourhood guidance:

• Creation of strong gateways and arrivals into Copper Park, including through the continuation of the Sherborne Street active route 
• Enhanced walking and cycling routes, with an improved crossing at Bury New Road to connect the wider Strangeways area and City Centre with Copper Park and surrounding neighbourhoods.
• Retention and continued contribution of recognised heritage assets – to include recognition of Private White V.C. as a significant asset and point of economic innovation.
• Careful management of building heights as the urban environment extends beyond city centre into city fringe, and the suburban area beyond.
• Opportunity for new development and building re-use to accommodate commercial uses at ground floor and a combination of residential and employment uses above, in response to flood risk and 1m flood tolerance agreed with the Environment Agency.
• Consolidation of active frontages along Bury New Road to strengthen its position as a ‘high street’ and amenity corridor for the wider neighbourhood.

Cheetham Park

Cheetham Park provides the setting to reimagine the northern corner of the SRF area into a new residential neighbourhood framed around the enhanced historic park. It includes opportunity for: 

• Ensuring a diversified housing offer through medium density development that includes family housing. 
• Creating a more positive edge to the park itself will improve its safety and utility. 

Figure 14: Cheetham Park Strategy Diagram.

Neighbourhood guidance

• Retention and continued contribution of recognised heritage assets – to include material investment in Cheetham Park to bring it to life at the heart of a new residential-led neighbourhood. 
• Investment to focus on historic assets within the park but also prioritise park entrances and perimeters to activate and enhance the park and create vibrant, engaging frontages. 
• Creation of development frontage along Cheetham Park to the east and west to include high quality development adjacent to the park environment, including active frontages and natural surveillance of the area. 
• Modest scale of development in the area, acknowledging wider suburban housing context and historic context of the park at the heart of the neighbourhood.
• Investment within the street environment around the park, to prioritise pedestrians and active travel within safe streets which are positively overlooked.

Dutton Street

Figure 15: Dutton Street Strategy Diagram.

The Great Ducie Street SRF established a vision for this area of the city – envisioning the creation of a mixed-use neighbourhood with a strong sense of place and community. It clearly identified the potential for this area to be one of the most prominent opportunities to support the continued growth and enhanced productivity of the city.

The Strangeways and Cambridge SRF vison for Dutton Street – as the majority area of the Great Ducie Street SRF area – builds on this sense of the area being part of Manchester City Centre in the future. It focuses on the importance of the Great Ducie Street corridor as a key gateway to the city centre, and the role for development and investment in Dutton Street to support bringing this area to life in a positive way. This is therefore considered a good location for any prospective mobility hub in Strangeways.

Neighbourhood guidance:

• The evolution of the Great Ducie Street corridor to be an active city centre mixed use area, including more residents and new workspace within a vibrant quality setting. 
• Strong development frontage along Great Ducie Street and Trinity Way and along Cheetham Hill Road – creating safe and activated spaces supporting wider street-based interventions to enhance active travel and positive spill-out where appropriate.
• Creation of strong gateways and arrivals into Copper Park, including through appropriate western frontage of development plots and routes including Julia Street. 
• Consolidation of active frontages along Great Ducie Street and Cheetham Hill Road to improve quality of provision and strengthen its position as a ‘high street’ and amenity corridor for the wider neighbourhood. 
• Retention and celebration of key heritage assets across the area – ensuring they are in positive, active use enhancing community provision, attracting visitors and enabling community access wherever possible.

Lord Street

Lord Street is an important area of transition, blending form and function from a high density ‘city’ character across the Dutton Street neighbourhood into the core employment offer of the Derby Street neighbourhood, and connecting the change in the SRF area with the new neighbourhood of Red Bank and beyond Victoria North.

Its character is reflective of the adjacent Derby Street neighbourhood – being largely commercial in nature, housed in traditional brick buildings. It is an interesting and relatively vibrant interface between the Cheetham Hill and Great Ducie Street corridors. 
There will be opportunities for new standalone workspace and repurposing of existing sites and premises underpinned by a strong employment character and use profile. The development mix also needs to reflect the need for positive interface with Red Bank.

Figure 16: Lord Street Strategy Diagram.

Neighbourhood guidance

• New development to respect existing street pattern and network as much as possible to retain character, minimise impact on utilities, and ensure minimum environmental impact of construction through potential to retain existing structures and materials where possible. 
• Opportunity for new development and building re-use to accommodate commercial uses. Individual plot and more comprehensive phased delivery strategy to reflect the need for this area to manage the transition between residential development at scale within the Dutton Street neighbourhood and continued employment function of the Derby Street neighbourhood.
• Consolidation of active frontages along Cheetham Hill Road to improve quality of provision and strengthen its position as a ‘high street’ and amenity corridor for the wider neighbourhood. 
• Retention and continued contribution of recognised heritage assets. All buildings to be considered for re-use before redevelopment in line with SRF principles.

This framework seeks to support the logical progression of development out from the city centre along the key corridors of Great Ducie Street / Bury New Road and Cheetham Hill Road, alongside the critical path to unlock the major change envisaged in the Copper Park and Cheetham Park neighbourhoods.

There is a degree of interdependency noted between the neighbourhoods, including:

• Copper Park / Overbridge – whilst the park proposals are a response to future flood risk identified across the area, the creation of strategic open space will have a positive impact on adjacent development areas. The SRF identifies key development opportunities across Overbridge which includes direct frontage onto the park, and where key amenity interface is anticipated. The design and phasing of these neighbourhoods, and the management strategy to be applied, are considered critically linked. 
• HMP Manchester and Jury Street / Lord Street – Although less direct than the previous examples, the SRF acknowledges an important interface between the full realisation of development potential on plots within Lord Street adjacent to HMP Manchester and decisions on the future of the prison.

Supporting relocation of residents and businesses

The delivery of Copper Park will impact both residents and businesses. Engagement with the affected parties and understanding their requirements will be fundamental. 

SCC and MCC, along with key partners including Salix Homes, are committed to early engagement with impacted parties to understand the individual requirements of residents and businesses across the area.

Place management 

Currently, both councils apply a strategy, and resources based on the area being used as an employment area with relatively few residents. As that changes over the long-term, the strategies and levels of resourcing will need to be reviewed.

Key considerations within the SRF which need to be considered in this context include arrangements for the management and maintenance associated with Copper Park and Cheetham Park – possibly including an appropriate estate charge.

There is an expectation that any development proposals brought forward across the SRF are supported by clear management strategies.

Funding

The ultimate realisation of the SRF vision and ambitions – both at overarching and neighbourhood scale – relies on investment from the public and private sectors.

Governance

The SRF can only be delivered through partnership. There is already a Strangeways Regeneration Board in operation – which includes representatives of MCC, SCC, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, and Homes England.

The councils will work with stakeholders to optimise and leverage private sector investment in the area.

Monitoring and review

Whilst the SRF will not be formally monitored over time, progress against the vision set out in this document will be reviewed by members and officers from both councils over time.