City of Manchester

Gorton and West Gorton Draft Planning Proposals

This leaflet and the exhibition outline the City Planning Officer's thoughts on how the area could be rebuilt. These have not been considered by the City Council and the purpose of this exhibition is to explain these thoughts and give you the opportunity to comment on them and put forward your own ideas.

Your .views can th~n be fully taken into account in drawing up the final proposals for consideration by the Council.

You will have the opportunity to comment or ask questions at the exhibition or alternatively please contact the City Planning ·Officer, Town Hall, Manchester M60 2LA, telephone 236 3377 extension 24 76 or 2460.

St. Francis RC Church, West Gorton

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The Opportunity

Much of Gorton sprang up as a result of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, when heavy engineering works were built alongside the railways making it one of the most important industrial areas of the City. Large numbers of densely packed terraced houses covered the area with few open spaces or community facilities. Today these form extensive areas of unfit housing, some cf which have already been cleared and redeveloped, and many more are now in the 'pipeline' for clearance as part of the Corporation's overall plan to clear all the unfit houses by 1976.

This is a tremendous task and one which inevitably means a great deal of upheaval for the families involved, but it also presents a unique opportunity, not only to rebuild better homes for people but to provide for a full range of social facilities as well.

Altogether something like a quarter of the area, some 320 acres will be affected by redevelopment and the opportunity will be taken to replace or modernise obsolete schools, provide new shopping and community centres, extend open space and recreation facilities, improve traffic conditions and encourage new industry.

The Draft Outline Proposals

Communications

It is envisaged that Ashton Old Road and Hyde Road w ill become urban motorways. A further two major roads will cross the area from north to south , namely to Inner and Intermediate Ring Roads and there is the possibility that a third road may be constructed in the east of the a rea (route D/23) .

The secondary road network is des igned to provide good loca l circulation with convenient access to the ma in roads and major activities of the area . A west to east spine route (Bennett Street/ Wenlock Way/Gorton Lane/Crossley Street/Ca m bert Lane/ High Stree t ) will link into a north to south route which will follow mainly existing roads in the vicinity of Lees Street, Abbey Hey Lane and Tan Yard Brow but which may ultimately be replaced by route D/23. Additional loop roads will serve the remainder of the area including perimeter roads around the major industrial areas to separate residential and industrial traffic.

A new section of road along Froxmer Street, between Gorton Lane and Chapman Street, will ailow for the ultimate closure of part of Chapman Street and so improve the . residential environment of the area.

The proposals provide for the separation of the main flow of pedestrians and vehicles where possible. A west to east pedestrian route is proposed to link the housing areas with the main social and community facilities. The now filled in Stockport Branch Canal wil I be landscaped and used as a further pedestrian route, running from north to south.

Housing

Most of the new housing would be low rise family housing and

would be varied in size t o meet the needs of different sized

families. A limited amount of more intensive development

could be provided close to the main shopping centres if there

is a demand for it.

Some of the older terraced housing, especially in the eastern

part of Gorton is structurally sound but may lack indoor

toilets or bathrooms, for example and such houses should

be improved as quickly as possible by taking advantage of the

improvement grants now available. The City Council is also

at present undertaking the environmental improvement of two

small pilot areas of similar houses elsewhere in the City, and if

this is successful, then the Council will consider whether to

extend this practice elsewhere, including Gorton.

Education

The proposals allow for the provision of new or modernised

· schools, with adequate playing fields, which, if possible would

be associated with other open space facilities in the area.

Already there are a number of new schools in the area,

Armitage Street and St. Marks ' Primary Schools in West Gorton,

and the Bishop Greer St. Francis, and Wright Robinson

Secondary Schools in Gorton. New Primary Schools have,

where ever possible, been located so as to reduce the school

journey fo r young children and to associate them with pedestrian

routes to give safe and easy access.

Primary road network

Secondary road network

Rail

Principal pedestrian route

District bounda.ry

City boundary

Main shopping centre

Shopping sub - centre

General open spac~ uses

Primary school

Secondary school

Residential

Future housing

Possible improvement areas

Industry

Service facilities

0 1 /2 ,. mile

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Shopping and Community Facilities.

Two new main shopping and community centres are proposed, based upon the existing centres at Gorton Cross Street and Ogden Lane, which are well located to serve both the existing and proposed development in the area. In the remainder of Gorton day-to-day needs should be satisfactorily met by existing scattered shops and small groups of shops, whilst two shopping sub centres are to be built to serve the needs of West Gorton. In addition, small corner type shops could be provided in the new housing development where required.

A number of community facilities such as welfare clinics and aged persons' homes have already been built. Further facilities are scheduled for development, including a recreation centre, clubs for the elderly, swimming baths, a day nursery, a new fire station, and an improvement of the library service. In addition there will be replacements of existing public houses and clubs as part of the redevelopment. A number of these new facilities will be related to the two main shopping centres.

Industry and Employment

Some of the heavy engineering uses are yiving way to new light industries such as International Computers Ltd. in West Gorton. The Corporation have set aside land in a number of different areas for new industrial development in modern, pleasant surroundings. A new wholesale fruit and vegetable market is to be built on the former Gorton Tank site. ·

Open Space and R.ecreation

The inclusion of an open space and recreational complex based on Debdale provides an opportunity for improving recreational facilities in east Manchester as a whole. Debdale would be linked to Sunny Brow Park by opening up and landscaping the Gore Valley. Throughout Gorton, the existing parks and recreation grounds will be retained wherever possible and any new development will be designed to take advantage of them, as part of an overall landscaping scheme for the whole area. An essential feature of the new housing areas will be the provision of children's play spaces.

Left View eastwards across new housing development in Wenlock Way, West Gorton, towards the outstanding landmark of St. Francis' Church

Above Charming cottages giving character to a, small part of old Gorton south of Hyde Road, which is worthy of preservation