Demolition of Piccadilly Gardens’ ‘Berlin Wall’ to start this month
Manchester City Council has confirmed the work is due to get underway.
Last updated 5th Nov 2020
The long-awaited demolition of part of Piccadilly Garden’s much-maligned ‘Berlin Wall’ will begin later this month, Manchester council has confirmed.
Work to knock down the small, free-standing section of the wall which separates the gardens from the nearby bus station will start on November 16.
The wall was most recently daubed with graffiti reading ‘The North is not a petri dish’ in response to the government’s approach to lockdown measures in the region.
Senior councillors approved the £2m project in August as part of a wider vision to improve Manchester city centre’s largest public square and crackdown on antisocial behaviour.
The scheme will also consider improving the rest of the wall that joins onto the privately-owned Pavilion building, which is leased by Cafe Nero and Tampopo, in the future.
Councillor Pat Karney, the council’s city centre spokesperson, said: “This is the news that everybody in Manchester has been waiting for – part of the wall is coming down.
“I’m going to mark it on my calendar. “
By demolishing this section of the wall, council officials hope that police will have better ‘sight lines’ to monitor what has become a hotspot for drug-dealing, drug use and violence.
The much-used public space has ‘huge potential’ for redevelopment, according to Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese.
He said: “As the city begins its recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and looks to the future, the regeneration of this prominent space will have a big part to play – hosting appropriate events and encouraging and supporting nearby business activity and job creation.
“Improving Piccadilly Gardens and the surrounding area is a high priority for the council.
“Further ideas are in the pipeline but this demolition will be the first visible sign that change is coming.”
The money set aside for demolition will also cover the cost of accompanying surveys, design work, and a public consultation.
Residents and businesses will be able to share their views on the redevelopment of Piccadilly Gardens in early December, though no details of the scheme have been made public.
Piccadilly councillor Jon-Connor Lyons has urged his constituents to get involved once the consultation opens.
He said: “This wall, and the other aspects of the built environment, has helped to foster anti-social behaviour in the area which local residents, Mancunians and international visitors have suffered with for years.
“My local vision for the area is for it to be greener, more family and active travel focused.
“This is a new beginning, and we must get it right.”
The regeneration of Piccadilly Gardens will also cover an area of Piccadilly north of the gardens, Parker Street to the south and Mosley Street to the west.
It is understood that the budget for the project is in the region of £10m.