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New Islington Millennium Community
Background
New Islington, Manchester's Millennium Community is being built on a 12.14 ha site at Ancoats, East Manchester and was the third Millennium Community to be identified as part of English Partnerships’ national programme.
Home of the Cardroom Estate, built in the late 1970s, the site involved extensive remediation works; the estate’s community was suffering the effects of massive depopulation, poor services and high levels of crime. Only half of the 204 homes were occupied when the site was identified for a Millennium Community.
An alliance of partners works with English Partnerships on New Islington, including the local community, Urban Splash, Urban Regeneration Company New East Manchester Ltd, Manchester City Council and Manchester Methodist Housing Association, part of Great Places Housing Group.
Quality public realm
English Partnerships’ capital investment in essential infrastructure and site preparation has acted as a catalyst to attract private and other public sector investors.
The vision was to provide beautiful canal side walks, cafés, cutting-edge architecture, moorings for narrow boats, gardens, shops, trees, and up to 1,700 new homes. The scheme includes affordable homes, a state-of-the-art primary health clinic, workshop spaces, a crèche, a primary school and community facilities all created using world class architects.
In 2004, work started on Will Alsop’s imaginative masterplan. By 2006, a new canal arm at the heart of the development and pioneering traffic-calming measures to Old Mill Street were completed. Now, the primary health centre facing onto the water park is completed and opened to the local community and a fabulous high-quality water park Cotton Field has also been created.
EcoHomes
The first 23 residents on Manchester’s Millennium Community moved into their new homes in Spring 2006. Commissioned by Manchester Methodist Housing Association (part of the Great Places Housing Group already mentioned above so delete?) the homes were designed by designed by FAT (Fashion Architecture Taste) architects. The homes have already won several awards for their distinctive façades interpreting Dutch gabled houses.
Further awards came with the second phase of social housing which was completed in early 2007, designed by De Metz Forbes Knight, and which incorporates innovative green roofs.
Energy solutions
The first phases of social housing at New Islington incorporated individual micro-CHP units in each of the homes. Later housing will benefit from a site-wide Combined Heat and Power System, which will reduce energy consumption across the whole of New Islington.
Current Activity
The Alsop-designed ‘Chips’ building is nearing completion by Urban Splash. The first residents are due to move in early in spring 09.
2007 saw the launch of ‘Tutti Frutti’ - a competition by Urban Splash which offered individuals the chance to design their dream home then win the right to buy one of 26 canal side plots of land.
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Download a factsheet on New Islington Millennium Community from the Publications page. |
Further information about New Islington Millennium Community is also featured on the website at www.newislington.co.uk.
