Manchester city council has appointed landscape architects LDA to come up with proposals to make Piccadilly Gardens a “more welcoming, family-friendly space”.
The council revealed the firm will come up with outlines for schemes, before they are consulted on in the Spring, in response to a request for comment from the on the current state of the square.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester city council, said: “We know that Piccadilly Gardens is a major issue for a lot of people which they have strong views about.
“We are committed to funding and bringing forward a scheme which will both improve its appearance and help make it more of a welcoming, family-friendly space.
“We look forward to sharing further ideas and details with the public and having a conversation on how best to improve the gardens as soon as we are in a position to do so.”
The landscape architects were behind a previous scheme at Piccadilly Gardens by LGIM Real Assets (Legal & General), which attracted broad public support but was discontinued when it became financially unviable.
The council said it would like to keep elements of the original scheme, including new planting, improved lighting and design to help deter anti-social behaviour, raising grassed areas and re-laying paths.
The creation of a more family-friendly area with an improved children’s play area would be “critical”, it said.
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The plans are also set to expand the area under consideration to include the section to the north of the gardens, Parker Street to the south and Mosley Street to the west, the council said.
The council said they hope to “soften” the appearance of the square’s concrete wall, with plans to turn it into a ‘living wall’ and remove the free-standing part of the wall.