To: Manchester City Council

Manchester - Build a Green, Community Space, not a CAR PARK

We the undersigned petition Manchester City Council to transform the old Central Retail Park into a 10 acre Green, Community space, not a 440 space car park.

Why is this important?

Manchester City Council is planning to turn the old Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street into a 440 space car park. This planning permission was controversially granted on 17th October. We have kept this petition open as we are now appealing that decision.

If the car park is built, there will be around 1000 cars moving in and out onto already busy Great Ancoats Street. This will increase pollution in a city with appalling childhood asthma rates and one which consistently ranks amongst cities with the worst air quality in Europe. The site is also right next to a primary school.

Manchester City Council has declared a climate emergency, and has committed to reducing carbon emissions. Building a huge car park that will increase pollution is in direct contradiction to this.

Please keep signing the petition, show the council its decisions are against what the local people want. Let us all call on Manchester City Council to turn this area into a much needed green community space for families, residents and visitors.

How it will be delivered

We have delivered the petition. We have now moved on to the appeal.

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Links

Campaign Facebook Page Campaign Website

Updates

2024-05-22 10:04:18 +0100

The council has now sold half the site (https://www.treesnotcars.com/post/half-of-the-former-central-retail-park-has-been-sold), the remaining 5 acres can still be turned into a propoer park.

If you support this new campaign, please sign here:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/trees-not-cars-a-new-park-in-manchester

Many thanks for your continued support

Gemma

2024-04-30 15:51:46 +0100

We won the appeal! Apologies for the delayed update on here. The site has never and will never be used as a car park.

Half of the 10 acres has now been earmarked for government buildings with the planning permission passed. The other half is still unplanned.

We are now campaigning for a proper park on the remaining 5 acres.

2020-07-22 09:38:34 +0100

We hope youve kept as well as can be expected during these uncertain times. In MCR city ctr the lack of green space was keenly felt during lockdown.

We've been really taken with #buildbackbetter & feel our fight with the council to stop opening the former CRP as a car park is now more important than ever.

Earlier this year a judge granted us permission to appeal the council's decision. (Granted on one ground). We asked our lawyers to appeal for permission to include broader arguments on how air quality & traffic levels would be impacted by adding a 440-space car park.

We have been advised that we have very good prospects for succeeding in this appeal which will significantly enhance our case to overturn the planning decision.

Whilst this has added to our costs, we feel it is vitally important to review exactly how the Council dismissed air quality concerns when deciding to grant permission to itself.

If you agree https://www.gofundme.com/f/trees-not-cars-mcr

2020-02-01 14:24:57 +0000

You may have wondered why it's been 3 months and you've still not seen any cars on the car park. We've been working hard in the background and we are currently appealing the decision! As a result the council have not yet been able to do anything. The reason we've kept this petition open is because the fight is not yet lost.

2019-11-09 23:38:46 +0000

We may have lost, but we haven't given up. We plan to challenge the council and have bee engaging with lawyers about routes of appeal. We have received advice that our claim has merits.

Huge thanks to the 3 councillors who supported us, especially Cllr Jon Connor-Lyons for his passionate speech in support of our campaign.

2019-10-17 13:02:19 +0100

For those unable to make the meeting, you can watch it here: https://t.co/lRCN7liCZ6?amp=1

2019-10-17 10:43:34 +0100

JOIN US TODAY at 2pm where the planning committee make their decision https://you.38degrees.org.uk/events/deliver-the-petition

2019-10-11 10:38:32 +0100

10,000 signatures reached

2019-10-10 11:13:15 +0100

The application for a 2 year temporary car park on the former Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street is going up to the planning committee on 17th October at 2pm. We will be presenting the petition of 9957 objections:

https://t.co/JKnORp5C8h?amp=1

2019-10-02 13:43:37 +0100

Local residents received a letter on Monday. The application has been amended from 5 years as a car park to 2. We still believe this is 2 years too many.

WE NEED TREES, NOT CARS.

You only have until tomorrow (3rd October) to object, we urge you to comment, as we haven’t had word whether the original objections will be heard or not.

https://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=PUFAN1BCGPZ00&activeTab=summary

2019-09-02 23:18:23 +0100

Stats of signatures from City of Manchester broken down by ward:

Miles Platting & Newton Heath 164
Harpurhey 46
Chorlton 205
Withington 149
Cheetham 149
Charlestown 25
Ancoats & Beswick 1184 (WHERE THE PARK IS)
Rusholme 81
Fallowfield 48
Piccadilly 574
Crumpsall 28
Whalley Range 165
Deansgate 172
Chorlton Park 187
Old Moat 107
Hulme 185
Moston 38
Brooklands 27
Higher Blackley 27
Burnage 77
Levenshulme 150
Didsbury East 140
Moss Side 75
Ardwick 46
Clayton & Openshaw 40
Gorton & Abbey Hey 26
Didsbury West 181
Longsight 19
Northenden 45
Sharston 19
Woodhouse Park 8
Baguley 14

2019-09-02 23:14:51 +0100

Stats from a snapshot of the signatures taken earlier this week, with duplicates removed:

Stockport 662
Salford 673
Manchester 4401
Oldham 246
Trafford 691
Wigan 79
Tameside 337
Bury 365
Cheshire East 114
Rochdale 218

Elsewhere 918

Total 8704

2019-08-30 16:29:44 +0100

We're on Channel 4 News tonight! 7-8pm.

2019-08-29 07:23:58 +0100

This saturday join us for litter picking and guerilla gardening! Bring a bag of soil and an outdoor plant!

2019-08-21 20:54:14 +0100

Last weekend we descended upon the park and started to create our vision of what the space could be. With over 70 people there, we drew, we had picnics, we played games... BBC North West Tonight came along and filmed us!

Now we need to #UseItOrLoseIt. Go and make use of the space, take a photo of yourself and put it on social media with the hashtag #treesnotcars. You can tag Manchester City Council and Sir Richard Leese.

We're holding another gathering at the park this Saturday. It would be great to see you after the Pride Parade.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/events/make-the-space-a-park

Thank you for all your support so far