Manchester's Northern Quarter could change forever under new plans. The trendy city centre neighbourhood will be transformed in a five-year blueprint for the future, with proposals for major upgrades to cleanliness and safety.
The Northern Quarter is a hugely popular part of central Manchester, known for its mix of shops and places to eat and drink. But fears have been shared about litter and anti-social behaviour bringing the area down.
New Plan to Tackle Concerns
The new plan is aimed at tackling concerns around 'aggressive begging' and 'drug-related activity' while boosting visitor numbers. Businesses in the Northern Quarter have come together to support the plan, with a vote in favour of the scheme being passed in July.
It will bring £4m of extra investment to the neighbourhood with the setting up of a new business improvement district (BID), with the cash being raised through a levy. The Northern Quarter BID is set to launch in January 2027 and last until 2032, with the option to be renewed in future.
Boundary and Support
The boundary covers the 'entire northern slice' of Manchester city centre - from Great Ancoats Street to Piccadilly, and from Corporation Street to Ducie Street, as well as NOMA and the Printworks.
Jon-Connor Lyons, a councillor in the Piccadilly ward, said a Northern Quarter BID could make a huge difference off the back of the success of similar schemes around Manchester. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "They [other BIDs] have had extra cleaning and additional resources for the businesses, health and safety, and stuff like that.
"I think the Northern Quarter one would want to focus on cleanliness and safety, working with the police to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime, it is up to them what they want to do. I think it will be really good and I welcome that the businesses have come together to create this."
Proposed Changes
Changes being proposed include 'a new team to address anti-social and threatening behaviour', including improving reporting and engagement with the Police and council. There are also calls for a new 'Angels' scheme offering late-evening and weekend support for people on a night out, such as signposting, help for vulnerable people, and links to local services.
Plans to clean up the streets to make the Northern Quarter 'gritty but not grimy' could see 'targeted jet-washing' and early morning cleaning, as well as new creative projects and street poetry. A new loyalty scheme for workers in the Northern Quarter will also be explored to support local businesses.
Complementing Existing Services
These measures are aiming to 'complement, not replace' services by Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police. The Northern Quarter BID will be managed by an organisation called CityCo, the city centre management company.
A report was published by CityCo sharing more details about the plans. It stated: 'The proposal is for a business improvement district located in the northern part of the city centre. It will comprise office-based businesses, retailers, day, and night-time economy businesses, within a designated Northern Quarter BID area.
'Only businesses with a rateable value of £27,000 or higher will be eligible to be part of the BID. In total, approximately 420 businesses will be part of the BID - stretching from Great Ancoats Street to Ducie Street. The area takes in heritage districts and is home to independent retail and nightlife, leisure, and experiential brands, creative, design and marketing agencies, and renowned fashion and social media brands.'
CityCo was approached for comment.
