Irwell River Park

River Park Quays

The redevelopment of Salford Quays has created a leading business, cultural and residential area of great national and regional significance and is the southern anchor of Irwell River Park.

The 36 acres of purpose-built creative and digital space at MediaCityUK will bring further growth to this zone.

Incorporating the economic powerhouse of Trafford Park, River Park Quays is also home to nationally acclaimed and award-winning leisure and tourist attractions including The Lowry, Manchester United Football Club, Imperial War Museum North and Lancashire Country Cricket Club.

New and exciting spaces, connections and opportunities with environmental benefits will be opened up at River Park Quays including:

• A pedestrian bridge connection, MediaCity Footbridge, linking the BBC’s northern HQ and the MediaCityUK Piazza to Imperial War Museum North, Trafford Wharfside and Trafford Park.
• New riverside promenade improving the setting and connection to the waterfront of the Imperial War Museum North.
• A footbridge at Clippers Quay linking Salford and Trafford banks, creating new ecological opportunities on existing sites of biological importance.
• Improvements to the routeways and connections around The Quays to create clearer legible routes to key destinations.
• Sustainable transport connections using the river, creating direct waterway connections between MediaCityUK and Manchester City Centre.
• Opportunities for enhanced water quality within River Park Quays.

River Park Central

This area of Irwell River Park runs from Trafford Road Bridge through to the centre of the region. This stretch of the river provides some of the greatest opportunities for transformation of the river corridor. Schemes in this section include the Soapworks, a 38,000 sq m redevelopment of the former Colgate factory that will bring forward commercial floorspace with ancillary retail uses, and the long term aspiration to provide a new footbridge link to the Pomona metrolink station on the opposite riverbank in Trafford.

River Park Central has enormous visual and historical interest, running through the old Ordsall and Pomona dock areas and Castlefield, and is home to both Ordsall Hall and the Museum of Science and Industry.

This central part of the Irwell River Park scheme will create an area of contemporary family housing in a wide, green riverside boulevard setting. Two new bridges will also be constructed, creating new strategic lateral connections linking communities and development across the river.

Substantial routeway and bridge improvements will transform the riverside connections in River Park Central. New lighting, walkways and improved facilities are planned, benefiting the river users including anglers and rowers as well as creating a more accessible cycle and pedestrian friendly route.

River Park City

North of the historic Stephenson’s Bridge, the River Irwell flows into the core of the regional centre, already a major location for economic and residential growth and home to famous landmarks such as Spinningfields, the Lowry Hotel, Manchester Cathedral and Urbis.

Major new developments in the near future will further consolidate the River Park City area’s economic dynamism, reinforcing its position as one of the key drivers of the regional economy.

New routeways and footbridges will provide direct links for the first time between nationally significant visitor destinations and landmarks.

The transformation of River Park City will be further enhanced by:

• The creation of a new substantial mixed-use development at Salford Central. A new footbridge between Salford Central and Spinningfields will link these two areas creating a new urban quarter and connection from Salford Central station directly into Manchester City Centre
• Major improvements to Chapel Wharf and Trinity Approach will accelerate commercial development and support further residential investment by providing additional high-quality public realm improvements. This will create a new key gateway to Irwell River Park at the heart of the conurbation core.
• An ambitious redevelopment of the Ramada Renaissance hotel site will create a vibrant and unique walkway along the waterfront linking Blackfriars and Victoria Bridges.
• A new link, Cathedral Walk Bridge, will create a continuous connection from Salford to Manchester banks along the river through to Manchester Cathedral and the new Medieval Quarter.
• Cathedral Square on the Manchester bank and will create the largest new public space in the Regional Centre.
• The transformation of 13 hectares of land at Greengate into a distinctive and diverse mixed use urban quarter will consolidate the regional centre’s European status. With a new stunning bridge connecting Greengate to Manchester Cathedral, and an exciting new Urban Cove, Greengate anchors Irwell River Park at the heart of the conurbation core.

River Park Meadows

River Park Meadows provides the northern green anchor of Irwell River Park. It will improve linkages between the core of the Regional Centre, the University of Salford, Chapel Street, Greengate and the communities along the Anaconda section of the river.

New cultural, media and heritage opportunities are emerging at Chapel Street and Islington Mill, creating a new hub for the creative industries sector.

River Park Meadows will also provide a link between Chapel Street and the University of Salford, helping to consolidate the knowledge capital linkages between the cities’ major educational establishments.

Key developments within River Park Meadows include:

• Revitalising The Meadows, creating a six hectare ecologically focused green space with walkways and wetlands for local people, students and visitors to enjoy.
• Two new footbridges will overcome the isolation of the area, linking the newly transformed Chapel Street corridor to the University of Salford and the historic Peel Park.
• Environmental improvements along the Anaconda stretch of the riverside, facilitating a sustainable, accessible and safe linkage from The Meadows to Greengate.
• New waterside spaces will help reinvigorate this stretch of riverside, linking communities in Broughton and Irwell Riverside back to the Irwell.