FOR many years the city council owned 'garden' adjacent to Albert Bridge House and on the banks of the River Irwell has been a dirty, abandoned, waste of space.
Plants have been selected to create all year round interest including berries in autumn and winter.
Now the neglected area has been given a facelift as part of the Manchester Garden City initiative.
The land has been partially re-landscaped with new wooden seating and a hedge of lavender bordering the river to attract bees.
Albert Bridge
Plants have been selected to create all year round interest including berries in autumn and winter. The scheme has been designed by CityCo to be low maintenance and includes features to deter any anti-social behaviour.
The project led by city centre management company CityCo was also funded by Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police.
Work on the gardens also included jet washing all paved areas and walls, removing graffiti, painting railings and iron works and installing four raised planters containing magnolia trees.
The piece of land which is on the banks of the River Irwell facing the People’s History Museum, was, until recently, where the Joseph Brotherton statue stood (Confidential wrote about this here). This has been renovated and returned to its rightful home across the river in Salford.
All well and good.
Shame then that the stone base of the Brotherton statue still remains on the Manchester side of the river - you can see it in this picture.
Stone plinth remains
It's a double shame that the White Lightning drinking classes have also re-occupied the gardens. When a Confidential member of staff visited on Monday the signs were plain to see.
Home from homeless
Still at least this is a step in the right direction and although limited shows that the Garden City initiative has some legs. But it needs lots more money.
Vaughan Allen, chief executive at CityCo has said: “The Albert Bridge Gardens landscaping scheme has greatly improved this neglected piece of land. This is our fifth Garden City project and our most ambitious. This is a fantastic example of how the private and public sector can work together to revive an important green space, contribute to the Irwell project and make the city centre a better place for everyone.”
He's right but still, despite the straitened times, more needs to be done.
In fact the city centre as a whole needs more landscaping money.
If you look at the number and quality of gardens in other UK city centres, Liverpool, Birmingham, Nottingham and Leeds for example, owned and managed by their city councils, then we have some way to go.
At least from 24-29 July this year the area around the Cathedral will be splendidly enhanced by the Dig the City Urban Garden - click here.
This will involve more than ten separate areas of planting, lawns, markets, demonstrations, workshops and a massive flower festival inside the Cathedral featuring over 30,000 flowers.
Other Manchester Garden City schemes include planting at Piccadilly Basin, Grow Boxes on Dale Street car park, the orchard in St John’s Gardens and the Northern Quarter pocket park of Thomas Street.
The scheme is an independent initiative supported by CityCo, Manchester’s city centre management company and Manchester based architect and design practice BDP. It aims to increase the amount of temporary green space on brownfield sites and encourage gardening and sustainable eating.
Anyone wanting to volunteer or pledge their support for the Manchester Garden City initiative should email gardencity@cityco.com.
