A planning application for an urban mobility hub in Ancoats has been submitted by Manchester Life Strategic Development Company, the planning and coordination joint venture between Manchester City Council and Manchester Life.
The hub aims to support clean air and climate change priorities and the next phase of housing growth in Ancoats and New Islington.
According to the project, the Ancoats mobility hub would operate as a shared facility to ensure Ancoats grows as a ‘people first’ neighbourhood that prioritises streets for people over vehicles and provides sustainable and shared mobility choices.
The hub would feature an electric car share club, e-bike scheme, and 150 secure visitor cycle parking spaces, with changing facilities to enable the community to switch to sustainable transport modes.
It would also provide 102 EV charge points, with the capacity to convert all 408 parking spaces for EVs as demand grows.
Furthermore, there is space for a community cycle café and neighbourhood delivery depot that aims to reduce the increase in vehicle movements caused by online ordering.
Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The hub is a UK first. Anyone who thinks this is ‘just another car park’ is massively missing the point.
“The purpose of a car park is to park cars. The purpose of the hub is to help transform the neighbourhood over time, pioneering new ways of getting around and encouraging people to choose greener and healthier transport options.
“This is about thinking and acting differently. We have to recognise that many people who choose to live in the city centre require cars for their daily life and work. But we do want to be very deliberate in making sustainable transport changes easier and more attractive – encouraging the use of electric vehicles, cycles and other forms of active travel while supporting the transition away from petrol and diesel.”
If the application is successful, it is expected the hub would open by the end of 2023.
