Work to transform Prestwich Village’s centre into a new beating heart for the community is to take a major step forward.
The team behind the £100million+ overhaul of the Longfield Centre have appointed contractor Vinci Building to help bring the regeneration to life.
Starting with the Travel Hub, Vinci will be taking the baton from Chroma Consulting who led the project in its early phases, including surveys and ground investigations.
They will be tasked with carrying out the construction of the multi-storey Travel Hub which will support the wider vision to cement Prestwich as one of the best places to live and spend time in the North West.
The Travel Hub will provide a long-term parking solution for the village delivering 301 spaces, including electric vehicle charging points, cycle storage and a car club. It will replace the Fairfax Road car park, which closed when enabling works began last December.
Delivered by the Prestwich Regeneration LLP – the joint venture between national place maker Muse and Bury Council – it is all part of the plans to overhaul the dated Longfield Centre site, revitalising Prestwich Village with shops, community facilities, public green spaces and much-needed new homes.
Richard Kelly, Project Director at Muse, said:
“This is a really exciting time for Prestwich and the ongoing regeneration of the Longfield Centre. Having started the initial works last year, we’re really looking forward to getting stuck into the Travel Hub’s main construction and starting to see the long-awaited regeneration come to life.
“2025 is a big year for us, alongside the construction of the Travel Hub, we’ll be looking to submit a further application later this year which will provide more detail on the design of the homes.”
“We are thrilled to announce the next stage in this multi-million pound transformational regeneration scheme, which marks a significant step towards revitalising the heart of Prestwich Village and creating a vibrant, sustainable future for all.
Work on the Travel Hub is expected to last into 2026. Once completed subsequent phases will be able to commence with the existing Longfield Centre surface car park then able to be used to facilitate the delivery of the village masterplan. Full planning permission for all of phase 1 was approved in July 2024.
Temporary closures to Fairfax Road are expected later this year during the Travel Hub’s construction. Further details will be announced ahead of the works.
The regeneration plans have been shaped significantly by input from the local community following two stages of consultation, with changes including the provision of live event spaces as well as a market hall, more community and green spaces, and more parking spaces in the Travel Hub.
The plans approved by Bury Council in July 2024 include:
- A community hubincluding a library and flexible community space that can be used for events, clubs and art and culture. The building will also offer an opportunity to deliver a new Prestwich Health Centre, with discussions ongoing with the NHS and local GP practices.
- A new village square with family-friendly social places for all the community to meet and relax, which has been flexibly designed so it provides space for pop-up events like markets, food festivals, art exhibitions and live performances.
- A market hallproviding smaller spaces for local retailers to thrive and grow. This includes a food hall for local food operators and communal seating that spills out onto the village square.
- Flexible retail and leisure spacesacross the site, which will complement the high street and help to cater for Prestwich’s diverse business community. This is likely to include a new gym.
- Landscaped outdoor and green spaces, trees and places to wander, relax and sit. The existing fountain will be removed, and new public art installations will be incorporated throughout the development.
- Enhancing the Prestwich arrival experiencefrom the tram by delivering landscaping which connects with green spaces in the village.
- Relocating car parking in the centre of the site to a new Travel Hub off Fairfax Road, which will contain electric vehicle charging points and cycle storage.
- Over 200 new homes, which form part of the outline application, it is envisaged this will include a mix, from affordable homes to homes for first-time buyers, growing families and downsizers. The design, materials and style will follow in a future detailed planning application.
ENDS
Issued: 31 March 2025.
