EXCLUSIVE: The Manchester Evening News can now reveal how the city centre spot will be transformed over the next 12 months
06:02, 17 Oct 2025Updated 06:42, 17 Oct 2025
‘Indicative images’ show what Piccadilly Gardens could look like when work is complete
A multi-million pound revamp of Piccadilly Gardens will start in the new year. Long-awaited plans for the city centre spot can finally be revealed.
After decades of debate over its design, the Manchester Evening News can now exclusively reveal what is planned.
The first phase of the work, which will start after Christmas, will see the fountains ripped out to make way for more grass as well as a permanent space for events while the playground will double in size.
Flowers will return to the gardens with the public set to vote on which plants will feature while the walls on the Piccadilly end will be knocked down and lighting improved to brighten up the space.
Manchester council hopes the redesign will help reduce the crime and anti-social behaviour that has long affected the area. Greater Manchester Police will have a permanent presence with a dedicated team that could share a base with a tourist information centre.
The town hall says the first phase of work will be completed within 12 months, with plans for a new transport interchange to follow.
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Manchester town hall leader Bev Craig hopes the new sheltered hub for buses and trams will be built by the end of the decade. The plans follow many years of debate over the future of Piccadilly Gardens with leaders promising to restore it to its former glory.
The infamous ‘Berlin Wall’ was knocked down in 2020 with the rest of the pavilion getting its own colourful facelift a few years later. Meanwhile, various police operations aimed at cracking down on crime and anti-social behaviour have taken place in recent years.
City centre spokesperson Pat Karney, council leader Bev Craig and Chief Superintendent David Meeney have worked together on the plans(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
However, Manchester council promised a complete redesign of the city centre spot with £25m set aside for the project back in 2021. The first phase of that work is set to start once the Christmas markets are taken down – although the final costs are yet to be agreed.
Plans for a new transport interchange, which will be the most expensive part of the project, are expected to be drawn up next year.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, city centre spokesperson Pat Karney described the plans as the ‘biggest change’ in Piccadilly Garden’s history.
He said: “Piccadilly Gardens isn’t living up to anything like its potential at the moment but it could and should be a great public space for Manchester.
“This plan promises to be a massive leap forward. We’ve already demolished most of the hated wall but this package of improvements will go further to make a real and lasting difference.”
Flowers will be planted following a public vote
Working with Manchester Flower Festival, people will be invited to vote on which flowers should be planted at the gardens while children will be involved in designing the new, larger playground which promises to be of the ‘same high quality’ as Mayfield Park.
Coun Craig said the gardens will also be ‘decluttered’ with an audit of bins, bollards and signs already under way.
She said: “We want Piccadilly Gardens to be a space Mancunians are proud of once again – and that’s what we are determined to do.
“Manchester city centre has grown and changed, and there are lots of exciting things happening in our city. We need Piccadilly Gardens to up its game and play its part in welcoming millions of people into our city every year.
“People tell us they want it cleaned up, brightened up, invested in and made to feel safer. It’s still called Piccadilly Gardens and we’ve heard loud and clear from Manchester people that they want its appearance to do more to reflect that name.”
As part of the plans, a new neighbourhood policing team will be based in Piccadilly Gardens with Manchester council currently looking for a suitable location that could double up as a tourist information centre which GMP would share with other agencies.
The fountains will be removed to make way for more grass and a permanent space for public events
The council is expected to identify a location within the next year, with a Community Partnership van to be used in the meantime.
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, GMP District Commander for the City of Manchester, said “Piccadilly Gardens is a vital part of our city centre, and we know how important it is that people feel safe and confident spending time there.
“We’re working closely with Manchester City Council and partners on planning the physical improvements to Piccadilly Gardens, including the position of lighting and CCTV, intending to deter antisocial behaviour and criminality from occurring, as well as strengthen evidence and intelligence gathering opportunities for our investigative teams.
“This plan builds on our proactive, problem-solving neighbourhood policing model and the recent investment through the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee which has allowed us to uplift and strengthen our existing city centre team with new officers and resources.
“Through initiatives like Safe4Summer, we’re already demonstrating our commitment to making Manchester safer by increasing visibility, listening to community concerns, and tackling issues head-on.”