Eccles

Eccles town centre has grown from a small village into a vibrant area that provides a range of shopping and community facilities.

Located at the heart of the Manchester city region, Eccles is a well connected town served by motorways, trams, trains and buses that link it to Greater Manchester and beyond.

The town centre is home to a mix of independent, energetic local retailers and brand names as well as daily and monthly markets. Boasting a number of well known local restaurants and public houses, Eccles also hosts a number of events ranging from book talks to jazz nights.

The town centre also offers access to a number of community facilities and services.  These include Eccles Gateway health and community centre, adult and children's library services, a post office, travel information offices, council and partner services plus one of the busiest Fit City leisure centres and swimming pools in Salford.

Building front improvement

Buildings in Eccles town centre were brought back to life through a buildings front improvement scheme. This started in 2010 and since then 19 buildings have been improved including local pubs, takeaways, bakeries, cafes and newsagents. A number of prominent local landmarks including Eccles town hall have also been revived.

Works on the outside of Eccles Town Hall were completed in March 2011. The refurbishment of the hall inspired a group of local residents to join together and kick-start a project to improve the inside of the hall as well. Eccles Community Hall Organisation (ECHO) was established in July 2010 and now the Town Hall is a place for local communities to use and enjoy throughout the year.

Improving the environment

The focus on Eccles doesn't stop with the building front improvements; we're making the streets better too! The town centre has seen a significant programme of environmental improvements. For instance:

• we have reduced clutter by getting rid of redundant bins, benches and bollards, those that remain have benefited from a facelift with a fresh coat of paint
• we have focused on cleaning up ‘grot spots' in the town centre including Hope Street alleyway which has been transformed from a fly tipping magnet by cleaning and resurfacing the road and adding attractive alley gates
• an important part of improving Eccles has been the clearing and cleaning of green areas. Planters have been placed across the town centre, which Incredible Edible Salford (IES) maintain with a group of volunteers. These form part of an edible trail around the town centre
• the gardens of St Mary's Parish Church have been improved. Benches, bins and lighting columns were cleaned and repainted and the boundary wall has been repaired. New splashes of colour and landscaping have uncovered the incredible architecture of this fascinating building
• a new wayfinding strategy ensures that shoppers and visitors can find their way around the town and also links to the surrounding neighbourhoods of Monton, Salford Quays, Eccles New Road, Patricroft and Barton
• a new pedestrian and cycle friendly route allows better connections to the West One Retail Park to the north of the town centre
• the M602 footbridge will be refurbished and is due for completion by September 2016

Community feedback has been excellent with local residents and businesses pleased with the improvement works which have taken place.

A Town Team for Eccles was established with funding allocated from the Department for Communities and Local Government and from the government's High Street Innovation Fund. With representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors, the Town Team focuses on delivering a range of marketing and promotion priorities aimed at improving the vibrancy of the town centre. These include regular themed markets such as Teenage Farmers and Craft.

Love Eccles is the place to go for information on things to do in Eccles and find out what’s going on in the town.

This page was last updated on 12 April 2016