Wythenshawe town centre community conversation launched as plans for Culture Hub revealed
02.04.25 4 min read
In partnership with Manchester City Council (MCC), we’ve kick started engagement around the ambitious £500m plans to transform Wythenshawe town centre.
It was announced last summer that Muse had been selected to partner with MCC to deliver the once in a generation plans which will see Civic – the town’s much loved shopping centre – restored with a new Culture Hub, food hall, public square and flexible workspaces. The longer-term plans will see up to 2,000 new homes – including significant affordable housing – delivered over the next 10 years.
The Civic works, which are being funded through £20m funding from Government and a further £11.9m from the Council are set to start later this year, subject to planning approval. The plans include a larger public square and improved outdoor spaces with new paving and more plants to make the town centre a much greener and more pleasant space.
Following consultation last year by MCC around the Culture Hub a planning application has now been submitted. The aim is to boost the arts and creative industries in Wythenshawe, creating both grassroots opportunities and pathways to employment in the arts sector.
The new hub will include space for food and drink on the ground floor with the first floor home to a mix of flexible community and studio spaces, for workshops, exhibitions, classes or community events.
On the second floor a new performance space will host up to 200 people and include everything budding performers need, including rehearsal rooms, studios and changing rooms. If the plans are approved, construction will start in summer 2025 with the hub opening in late 2026.
Civic is also set to see a new, bustling food hall spilling out onto the public square and new workspaces for independent start-ups and growing local businesses.
Joe Stockton, senior development manager said;
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council said:
“For decades, Civic has been at the heart of Wythenshawe – and our vision will make sure it remains so for decades to come. But this isn’t just about new shops. This is a £500m transformational project that will create a destination in the community, new jobs, new housing – including lots of Council, social and genuinely affordable homes – cultural space and food hall that will keep local people and visitors coming back.
“We believe our high streets are the arteries that keep our communities alive, which is why we have committed to investing in our local high streets across the city. And at the core of our communities are the people who give them life. So as we continue to discover what Civic and the wider town centre needs in the coming years, we will need to keep the conversation going with local people, because it’s the feedback from the people who use Civic every day that will make sure we invest in what the community needs in the years to come.”
Local people are being urged to get involved and help shape the future of the town. A drop-in event is being held at The Forum on Saturday 26th April (11am – 3pm) where the team will be updating on the plans for the Culture Hub and seeking feedback on what people want to see in the food hall, workspaces and future plans for new homes.
In the spring, ‘Open Space’ will be launched at Unit 10, The Birtles, next to the former market. It will be a new meeting point in Civic where people will be able to chat to the team and find out more about the plans.
Local schools and youth groups are being invited to take part in a community mural or artwork in the town centre and can find out more on the Wythenshawe Town Centre website – a new hub for information about the regeneration plans.
To get involved in the community conversation:
– Meet the team at The Forum on Saturday 26th April (11am – 3pm)
– Visit wythenshawetowncentre.co.uk
– Email info@wythenshawetowncentre.co.uk
– Pick up a Civic Pride newspaper in local community centres and other locations in the town centre
– Fill in a questionnaire on the website or in the newspaper and pop it in the letterbox at Open Space
– Call 0800 689 1095 (Mon –Fri, 9:00am–5:30pm)
– Follow social channels – Instagram @WythenshaweTownCentre | Facebook WythenshaweTownCentre