Press releases

Planning application submitted for Piccadilly gardens improvements

LGIM Real Assets (L&G) announces that is has submitted a planning application for the improvement of Piccadilly gardens.

17 Jul 2017


Its proposed £2M investment aims to transform the well-used public space and major City thoroughfare into a vibrant area that is more attractive and welcoming to families, while deterring anti-social behaviour.

The plans for Piccadilly Gardens have been developed in partnership with Manchester City Council to improve the public Gardens and create a new covered public realm, as part of the redevelopment plans for the Pavilion building which will provide space for family orientated restaurants and a new coffee shop.

The proposals have been widely publicised, including a well-attended public consultation which took place over two days in December 2016. People also had the opportunity to give their feedback online. A significant proportion of respondents welcomed the plans and the feedback has been considered when building the plans.

All of the feedback was then presented to the Council’s Executive Committee who gave the go-ahead for plans to be developed and a planning application to be submitted. The full planning application was submitted this week to the Council for determination by the planning committee in the coming months.

The plans include:

  • Removing the existing Pavilion building and feature wall and replacing them with two new Pavilion buildings linked by a covered area of new public space for year-round use
  • Improving lighting around the Gardens to deter anti-social behaviour and improve natural surveillance. Greater Manchester Police have been consulted on the design
  • Creating extra seating throughout the Gardens for public use
  • Introducing extra ‘soft landscaping’ including new shrubs and plants
  • Addressing damage to pavements and grass by raising the grassed areas and re-laying pedestrian thoroughfares
  • Bringing family-themed restaurants and a new coffee outlet to the new Pavilion buildings, seven units in total

The plans will complement the investment which has already taken place in and around Piccadilly Gardens, including work the Council has carried out to bring the fountains back into use.

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Piccadilly Gardens is a major thoroughfare used by hundreds of thousands of people a week and for all the debate it generates it remains a well-used public space. Clearly, though, there is potential for improvement and we look to ensure that this is achieved to deliver a welcoming and attractive destination in its own right."

Bill Hughes, Head of LGIM Real Assets, said: “Through our partnership with Manchester City Council and our investment in Piccadilly Gardens our aim is to create a better-used and more welcoming public space.

“L&G has a longstanding track record of working with progressive local authorities to bring forward regeneration and improvements to social infrastructure projects. We see Piccadilly Gardens as a prime example of this kind of collaboration in action.”

The full planning application can be viewed on Manchester City Council’s planning portal http://www.manchester.gov.uk/planning/publicaccess by inserting the Planning Application Reference Number – 116923/FO/2017.

-Ends-

Photo caption: A CGI of the proposed Pavilion buildings, new covered public realm and gardens developed by L&G in conjunction with Manchester City Council

The proposals for the Pavilion and Gardens will be undertaken by L&G at their cost, which is estimated to be in excess of £10m of which £2m will be invested in public realm improvements. The value of the extra land required for the new Pavilion buildings is estimated at £1.3m which will be reinvested in the public realm improvements with L&G providing the remaining funding. L&G have a 250-year lease on the Pavilion building.

Further information

L&G_Olivia_Bayliss_480x480px.jpg

Olivia Bayliss

Head of Communications

Capital and LGIM Real Assets

Notes to editors

LGIMRA is a division of Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of Europe’s largest
institutional asset managers and a major global investor. LGIM manages £1.29 trillion1 ($1.57tn) in
assets, working with a range of global clients, including pension schemes, sovereign wealth funds, fund distributors and retail investors.

LGIM Real Assets has assets under management of £36 billion2 ($43.8bn) and is one of the largest
private markets investment managers in the UK. Investing in both debt and equity and across the
risk/return spectrum, LGIM Real Assets actively invests in and manages assets across commercial,
operational and residential property sectors, as well as infrastructure, real estate, corporate and
alternative debt.

Taking a long-term view in order to future proof our investments, LGIM Real Assets continues to lead the industry in ESG performance, considering all environmental, social and governance issues at asset level as well as portfolio level.

1LGIM internal data as at 30 June 2022. These figures include assets managed by LGIMA, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Data includes derivative positions.
2Source: LGIM Real Assets. AUM data as at 30 June 2022.

*at 13 Jan 2023

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

For professional clients only. Past performance is not a guide to the future. The value of an investment and any income taken from it is not guaranteed and can go down as well as up, you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Views expressed are of LGIM as at 12 January 2023. The Information in this document (a) is for information purposes only and we are not soliciting any action based on it, and (b) is not a recommendation to buy or sell securities or pursue a particular investment strategy; and (c) is not investment, legal, regulatory or tax advice. Legal & General Investment Management Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 02091894. Registered Office: One Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AA. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, No. 119272.