Bury Council unveil vision for Prestwich Village as starting point for community conversation

Nationwide placemaker Muse and Bury Council have launched the first community conversation on the future of Prestwich Village, as a draft masterplan and new images are revealed to act as a starting point for the discussions to shape the regeneration.

Your Prestwich is an ambitious £100m+ project that will transform the Longfield Centre and cement Prestwich as one of the best places to live in the North West.

The draft masterplan and concept sketches show the joint venture’s early thoughts for the plans to create a new beating heart for Prestwich Village, which include:

• A community hub that promotes health and wellbeing and provides opportunities for a new library, spaces for community events, clubs, art and culture, and the provision of key local services. The building will also offer an opportunity to deliver a new Prestwich Health Centre, subject to discussions with the NHS and local GP practices.
• A new village heart with family-friendly, social places to meet. Cafés and retail spaces will spill out onto a vibrant village square, which can host markets and outdoor community events and provide green spaces for the community to gather socially.
• Complementing the high street with new spaces for independent businesses and a diverse retail, leisure and food and drink offer.
• An opportunity to enhance the Prestwich arrival experience from the tram by delivering landscaping which connects with green spaces in the village.
• Moving parking out of the village core and into a new decked car park off Fairfax Road in a sustainable transport hub with electric vehicle charging points and cycle storage. This will enable Fairfax Road to become a pedestrian friendly safe crossing and Rectory Lane to become a new residential street with front doors.
• A mix of homes to help meet the fast-rising demand for quality housing in the village, from affordable homes, to first-time buyers, growing families and downsizers.
• Green spaces throughout, with the opportunity to connect surrounding green parks and woodland – such as Prestwich Clough, Prestwich Forest Park and Heaton Park – to the village centre.
• A carbon neutral development that will help safeguard and enhance Prestwich Village’s environment for future generations.

Joe Stockton, development manager at Muse, said: “This first conversation on our draft masterplan will help shape our plans to create a vibrant and highly-sustainable new destination for Prestwich Village. We want to provide a positive legacy in the village for years to come by understanding the community’s needs, aspirations and weaving them into the public spaces, amenities and homes we create. For us, it’s all about building a brighter future, together.

“There are lots of ways that you can join the conversation. So, whether you’re a local resident, business owner, or are even thinking about moving to Prestwich Village in the future, please get involved and let us know what you think.”

Cllr Eamonn O'Brien, leader of Bury Council said: “The council is putting unprecedented levels of funding into transforming the heart of Prestwich. These are tremendously exciting and ambitious proposals which will help to ensure that Prestwich thrives for generations to come. I urge everyone to view the plans and give us your feedback, as it is essential that we all work together in partnership to deliver the very best outcomes.”

The first community conversation on the emerging vision and draft masterplan will end on Friday 17 March 2023, with plenty of opportunities for people to take part and provide feedback, via www.yourprestwich.com.