THESE St Ann's Churchyard plans are all about imagination, determination and legacy.
Manchester needs to make sense of its spaces. These plans help do that.
The rector of St Ann's, Nigel Ashworth, has been working hard in recent years to refurbish and repair the church, and secure its future in the city. This needs revenue. St Ann's is an old building, it was consecrated in 1712, it needs constant love.
The churchyard to the south of the building leading to King Street has been a barren space for many years aside from Thomas's Chop House outdoor drinking area and the occasional event. So the rector has been to see Roger Ward of Thomas's Chop House with an idea.
Empty space If the churchyard can be converted into beautifully maintained pocket garden with, at the Chop House end, a tasteful weatherproof dining and drinking area, revenue can be extracted. This would take the form of a rent paid to the church which in turn would help repair and maintain the building and ultimately help realise a dream of Nigel Ashworth's to rebuild elements of the original John Barker design, particularly the Baroque balustrade and urns at roof height which would rebalance the church.
At the same time an example would be set for the rest of the city centre.
Without a large formal central park space a solution would be to deliver a series of beautifully maintained pocket gardens. In many respects this is a better idea than trying to find room in a city defined by its cramped urban centre for a large garden. The delight of stumbling across spaces such as St John's Gardens (when they are properly maintained) provides real joy for visitors and locals.
St Ann's Churchyard from the Thomas's Chop HouseThe city has lacked attention to detail with regard to landscaping and planting in the city centre. It's been a story of good and very bad for decades. The way St Peter's Square is starting to look with high quality street furniture and interesting planting is an example of the good, Piccadilly (non) Gardens is the disastrous worst.
Manchester needs to make sense of its spaces. Squares are about hard-surfaces tempered by very selective planting and Piccadilly Gardens, despite its obsolete name, is very definitely a square with its bus station, markets and location. Why throw good money after bad trying to maintain grassed areas that always fail? And let's not mention the fountain.
Yet in these times of brutal central government cuts the council is cash-strapped. So what Ward and Ashworth are doing is what more people and businesses need to do in Manchester. Instead of waiting for the council to get the ball rolling they're setting out to create a beautiful addition to the city that will be self-funding and maintained without council wage bills increasing.
They are not alone in this.
A realisable design that would greatly enhance the churchyardDown in Castlefield, the Forum of local residents is working hard with designers BDP to deliver another sparkling green area in the Roman Gardens. People are taking the initiative in Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter too.
Confidential can think of other areas, perhaps ten, where local businesses and residents could help renovate or transform public areas in the city centre. Lincoln Square is typical. There are some strong businesses around the square who could either put their hands in their pockets or allow employees time off to help maintain a beautifying scheme if it were to be delivered. At the very least they might meet together to see if they could improve their local enviroment.
Of course, businesses pay high rents and rates in Manchester city centre so the argument will always be why should they be expected to pay more. The repost to this is simple. Given the lack of cash during these years of austerity, if they don't no-one else will. Many city centre businesses do get involved with the aesthetics and culture of the city - property giants Bruntwood are a good example of this. Meanwhile Allied London and Castlefield Estates show how things can be done with their well-maintained and managed private estates. Others perhaps need to do more.
Back to the St Ann's plans which Ward would like to see delivered by Easter 2016.
Buttress Architects have teamed up with landscape designers Plincke - both award-winning practices - to deliver three lovely visions for the churchyard. These pay due regard to the heritage of the church and the ancient area it lies within. The most extravagant nods to the Baroque church design with a glorious patterned pavement surface and vast terracotta planters; another plays it simple with beautiful planting but a tight and very realisable design; the third incorporates part of the black and white tiled floor of the church and introduces 'productive' plants which could be used by city centre restaurants in their menus.
Baroque plan
What is stirring about the plans is the determination of all involved to move these plans forward and to get something done. "We want to beautify Manchester," says Ward, "simple as that. We want to make the city centre better but in a way that is costed and makes sense." Ashworth agrees, "What ever we do will be maintained at a very high level. This is a legacy initiative, that will help secure the future of the church and reinforce the role it has played in the city for three centuries."
Confidential wishes them well.
Of course, there are several hoops to jump through, but the city can never have too much of this example of energy allied to imagination.
STATEMENT FROM ST ANN'S AND THOMAS'S CHOP HOUSE
'The Church’s formal planning process, known as faculty, respects the opinions of all St Ann’s stakeholders. It appoints an independent Diocesan Advisory Committee (the DAC) to provide expert architectural advice, and uses a process of public consultation to ensure transparency. This runs in addition to Manchester City Council’s own statutory planning process, which is designed to protect the Conservation Area. No changes will be made without approval from both supervisory authorities.
This public information it will generate is designed to inform and, if necessary, change our first formal application before we even submit it. Because it is our duty to flush out the controversial; to highlight potential objections; and to find out what amendments we should, at the very least, be thinking about. Of course we are looking for support, so that we can help take the area forwards, but we also need to know the things that people are not so happy with, so that we can consider the alternatives. Any comments can be sent to rector@stannsmanchester.com'
The 'productive planting' design
