Plans to transform city's birthplace revived
BDP/Castlefield Forum- The Roman Gardens in Manchester is the spot where the city settlement was first founded
- The public green space has been described as "one of the saddest and most unloved areas"
- Community group Castlefield Forum's mission is to transform it into "something everybody is really proud of"
Plans to transform the 2,000-year-old birthplace of Manchester are back on track.
The multi-million pound revamp of the Roman Gardens in Castlefield, which have been in the offing for years, is now being revived by a community group.
The city centre spot, located off Liverpool Road, was home to the Roman fort of Mamucium where the settlement of Manchester was founded in AD 79.
The original stone gateway was uncovered during a dig in the early 1980s.
A reconstruction of the fort's North Gate now stands on the site of the original stone gateway, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Plans to transform the public green space described as "one of the saddest and most unloved areas", including plans for the Roman Gardens, were put forward by Castlefield Forum in 2016.
They were approved by Manchester City Council the following year but planning permission expired in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic before the work got started.
A new planning application outlining the same proposals has now been submitted with the hope work will get under way later this year.
But first Castlefield Forum chairman Calum McGowan said money needs to be raised to fund the project, which he estimated at £3m.
He said: "Our long-term mission is to transform this space from being unloved into something everybody's really proud of."
BDP/Castlefield ForumIf the new application is approved, an archaeological survey of the site would be undertaken as soon as possible followed by new lighting with cash from the council's Neighbourhood Investment Fund at the North Gate by the end of the year.
Other proposals for the site opposite the Science and Industry Museum include introducing a new pathway.
The Roman road which runs through the centre of the site would be resurfaced with a "time-line feature" created, raising awareness and educating visitors of its heritage.
A community area including grow boxes, a timber stage and space for seating would also be created and managed by the Castlefield Forum.
A rain garden, trees and Roman-inspired wildflowers would be planted as part of the plans.
An informal stage area would also be created as a starting point for tours.
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