海角视频

Mayfield Regeneration

Manchester, UK

海角视频 played a key role in ensuring the success of a landmark regeneration project that is transforming a derelict area of central Manchester into a vibrant new community with sustainable鈥�ecology鈥痑t its core.

The multi award winning Mayfield Regeneration is being built around the city鈥檚 first new public park in more than a century.聽We are working with U+I, on behalf of The Mayfield Partnership, to transform the former industrial site in the heart of the city into a world-class鈥�commercial, retail, entertainment and residential hub.

The development represents a brave new approach to urban design and planning, which actively promotes the health and鈥�wellbeing鈥痮f both people and planet. We also provided technical support through the Strategic Regeneration Framework, planning and detailed design, working closely with Landsec, on behalf of The Mayfield Partnership.聽

We achieved 96% biodiversity net gain. Good green infrastructure design and close working with the landscape architect ensured our ecologists could influence design from the outset.聽

Our approach saved nine weeks of planning time and two months of site closure, at a project cost of 拢50,000 per week.聽

The Environment Agency estimated that around 拢2m was saved through our approach to site remediation and material reuse.聽

By maintaining pre-existing levels wherever possible, we were able to re-use civil structures, which contributed significantly to the 拢9m we saved on original scheme costings.聽

Challenge

Over the next decade, the masterplan will guide the regeneration of this 24-acre site into a mixed-use development that will create 1,500 homes, 10,000 jobs, 154,800m虏 of office accommodation, and an exciting blend of restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and independent stores. Staying true to Mayfield鈥檚 industrial past, the historic station, depot and railway arches that characterise the site will form the framework around which this thriving new community will be forged. 

海角视频 is playing a vital role in the realisation of the development, created around a centrepiece new 6.5-acre public park on the banks of the River Medlock. The park opened to the public in September 2022. 

Our multidisciplinary team of engineers and advisors worked closely with the wider project team to reinvigorate the area and realise both social and secluded spaces in which people and wildlife can thrive. 

The site was highly contaminated from centuries of industrial uses. In addition, daylighting the River Medlock brought with it increased risk of flooding, changes to natural habitat and water quality, all of which needed to be managed to the satisfaction of statutory stakeholders. 

Solution

Our green infrastructure and environmental specialists collaborated with our bridge鈥痑苍诲 water鈥痶eams to restore the landscape to its natural beauty, encourage biodiversity, and create attractive parkland. Development of the site presented the opportunity to naturally restore the river and open the channel back up, using wetland and marsh landscaping at points prone to flooding. This has a multitude of environmental benefits from mitigating pollution and sediment in run-off to improving biodiversity, especially when used with complementary interventions such as nesting rafts for birds and greening of culverts and walls.聽

Sections of the park are designed to be flexible use areas, which deliver space for recreation and wildlife when river levels are low, but then provide the city of Manchester with much needed flood storage when the river levels are high. Mayfield also provides a range of opportunities for different types of tree planting, from trees lining paths to areas of 鈥榰rban forest鈥� which offer the potential for recreation and habitat creation. All will help to breathe new life into the city centre, both figuratively and literally 鈥� with such foliage playing a critical role in filtering air pollutants. 

All of this was done in consultation with the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit and Environment Agency to secure locally meaningful biodiversity improvements for the site. 

A further key element of our work was planning active transport routes through the park that link the development to the city beyond. We created a pathway that allows people to walk from Mayfield to Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station in just five minutes. It also connects the development to the city鈥檚 new Beelines network 鈥� the largest joined-up system of walking and cycling routes in the UK. 

We worked on behalf of the client to seek expert advice and liaise with numerous parties, including the Environment Agency鈥檚 Green Growth Team (GGT). In a pioneering approach to collaboration the GGT worked alongside the design team throughout. The Environment Agency summarised the benefits to the way 海角视频 engaged on Mayfield Park by noting it 鈥渟aved circa nine weeks of planning time and two months of site closure (at a project cost of 拢50,000 per week)鈥�. 

During remediation works, an area of heavier hydrocarbon contamination was discovered by the contractor. Due to 海角视频鈥檚 connection to the Environment Agency, additional testing, which we knew would be required, was kicked off immediately. We spoke with contacts at the Environment Agency and our proactive handling of the challenge restricted the delay to a couple of weeks, instead of a number of months. 

Our deep understanding of the site make-up allowed us to safely deal with heavily contaminated materials in an economic way. We worked closely with the landscape architect to rework designs to minimise the amount of soil movement. Contaminated material that could not be dealt with in-situ was treated and re-used across the site. The Environment Agency estimated that around 拢2m was saved through our approach to site remediation and material reuse. In addition, by maintaining pre-existing levels wherever possible, we were able to re-use existing civil structures, which contributed significantly to the 拢9m we saved on original scheme costings. 

Value

As well as promoting health and wellbeing, these initiatives are acting as the spearhead for Manchester鈥檚 wider commitment to developing a comprehensive Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy that will see high quality natural spaces form integral parts of all city neighbourhoods. 

The delivery of the masterplan is phased over 10/15 years from 2020, bringing a bold reimagining of urban living that reconnects the citizens of Manchester to the natural world throughout their daily lives. The park has gained a recent Green Flag award, and the buildings are targeting BREEAM Outstanding. 

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has recently initiated its 鈥淧laces for Everyone鈥� long-term plan for nine Greater Manchester districts. This pioneering project is already meeting many of its requirements, providing sustainable and resilient, greener, connected places for people, homes and jobs. 

One of the more complex contemporary planning challenges is achieving a 10% biodiversity net gain. On Mayfield Park we achieved a 96% biodiversity net gain. The river created a multitude of opportunities, and good green infrastructure design and close working with the landscape architect ensured our ecologists could influence design from the outset.