Frequently
Asked Questions

We are planning to create a new beating heart for Prestwich Village that appeals to everyone. We want to create new spaces to help people and businesses to thrive, with a mix of high-quality homes and family-friendly spaces, as well as a new community hub that promotes health and wellbeing.

Your Prestwich is an ambitious £100m+ project that will cement Prestwich as one of the best places to live in the North West. While the plans are still in the early stages, we have set ten key ambitions to help us create a positive legacy in Prestwich for years to come:

Pride in place
Cultivating an inclusive place we can all be proud of

Green first
High-quality streets and spaces that link to surrounding green spaces in the village

Community led
Creating a community hub at the heart of Prestwich

Belong here
Championing Prestwich’s diverse spirit and its heritage to create a welcoming place for all

Together for good
Promoting health and wellbeing through vibrant community spaces

Collectively independent
Creating new spaces to nurture and enhance Prestwich’s strong business community

Future environments
Enhancing the environment for future generations with a low-carbon neighbourhood to support a sustainable future

Walk, run, jump
A people-first approach that promotes more active and outdoor lifestyles, through new public spaces with walking and cycling routes

Positively connected
Strengthening Prestwich’s green transport infrastructure to be safe, accessible and well connected

Local benefits
Delivering benefits for local people through investment and jobs

The regeneration of Prestwich Village will also help deliver the council’s ‘Let’s do it!’ strategy, which is a ten year plan to improve local services, deliver sustainable communities, drive economic growth and reduce deprivation. The development of the plans will be measured against seven core measures in the Let’s do it! strategy.

1. Improved quality of life
2. Improved early years development
3. Improved educational attainment
4. Increased adult skill levels and employability
5. Inclusive economic growth
6. Carbon neutrality by 2038
7. Improved digital connectivity

The approved plans were shaped significantly by input from locals following two stages of consultation.

We have planning consent to deliver:

• A community hub: Including a library and flexible community space that can be used for events, clubs, 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. This will be a modern, flexible and fit-for-purpose space, designed in collaboration with the council’s library team.
• A new village square: Including family-friendly social places for all the community to meet and relax. The square (the size of around four standard swimming pools) has been flexibly designed so it provides space for pop-up events like markets, food festivals, art exhibitions and live performances.
• A market hall: Providing smaller, high-quality 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 spaces across the site: The tired Longfield Centre is currently underoccupied. It is proposed to deliver approx. 2,950 sq. m of modern ground floor retail spaces for a variety of uses, which is a similar amount as the existing ground floor retail space. Providing diverse, contemporary spaces within a revitalised centre will help complement the high street and provide future occupiers with real choice.

– Landscaped outdoor and green spaces: Including 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. The arrival experience into Prestwich by tram will also enhanced, with landscaping that connects with green spaces in the village.

– New parking and transport arrangements: It is proposed to deliver a new travel hub off Fairfax Road, featuring electric vehicle charging points, extensive cycle. Overall, the development would feature 301 car parking spaces, including accessible spaces for disabled visitors near the Community Hub. Elsewhere, improvements would be made to Rectory Lane, including traffic calming measures to improve safety. It would however remain open to two-way traffic.

– Over 200 new homes: It is envisaged this will include a mix of types of homes. It is important to note that this forms part of the outline planning application – which seeks to agree the principle of building new homes at the site. However, the size, design, materials and style will all follow at a later date in a detailed planning application – known as a Reserved Matters Application.

Our plans include around 200 new homes to help meet the fast-rising demand for high quality housing in the village.

They will include a mix of types of homes, from affordable homes to those for first-time buyers, growing families and downsizers. Details about the size, design, materials and style will all follow at a later date in a detailed planning application – known as a Reserved Matters Application, which we hope to submit to the Council later this year.

We are planning to deliver over 200 new homes which we expect will be a mix of apartments sizes.

We’ve sensitively designed the buildings to be in keeping with the local area and maximise daylight and sunlight into the proposed public spaces.

The travel hub is 12.3 metres above ground level facing Fairfax Road, and the north side is 13.980 metres above the current Fairfax level. We have also reduced the height of the proposed Community Hub building from 5 to 4 storeys. This was reduced following extensive consultation with the local community.

The exact proposed heights of the residential, retail and leisure building buildings will be finalised as part of completing the structural designs, but we are committed to a design principle that they will all be smaller than the existing Radius apartment block next to the Longfield Centre.

Feedback from the first conversation encouraged us to celebrate Prestwich’s character and heritage.

We have carefully studied the character, materials and architecture of surrounding buildings and local heritage to draw inspiration for the design, responding to the site’s setting and the unique character of the village.

We want to celebrate Prestwich’s strong arts, culture and creative history, and so we are planning to remove the existing fountain and incorporate new public art installations throughout the development.

You can read more about how the development will celebrate Prestwich’s heritage by reading our heritage report we submitted as part of the planning application.

A hybrid planning application for regeneration of the Longfield Centre site was approved by Bury Council (the Local Planning Authority) in September 2024.

This application gained detailed consent for Phase 1, which includes the travel hub, new green spaces and landscaped areas, community hub, retail spaces, and outline consent for future phases which include new homes.

The new homes will include a mix of types of homes. Details about the size, design, materials and style will all follow at a later date in a detailed planning application – known as a Reserved Matters Application, which we hope to submit to the Council later this year.

You can read more about the consented planning application by clicking the link here.

Yes. Updated designs, mainly to the travel hub

Since the submission, there have been several design changes, with updated drawings and plans submitted to the council. The main changes are to the internal design of the proposed travel hub on Fairfax Road to increase efficient use of the space.

In practice, this means:

• A more efficient arrangement inside the building, meaning the number of parking spaces can be increased from 275 to 301.
• The distance between the building and neighbouring properties at Highfield Place has been increased by just over a metre.
• Changes to the façade as a result of improved natural ventilation.

The project will be delivered in a number of phases. The first phase includes:

• Construction of the Travel Hub
• Demolition of the Longfield Centre and site preparation
• Community hub with opportunities a new library, spaces for community events, clubs, art and culture, and the provision of key local services. We are also having positive discussions with the NHS and local GP practices about relocating health and GP services within the building.
• Wider infrastructure, including utilities, public realm and village square, landscaping and green spaces
• Retail space that is suitable for independent businesses

The scheme will also include the delivery of over 200 new, high quality homes and additional leisure and retail spaces that will be brought forward to complement the village’s thriving high street.

Spring 2025
Construction of the travel hub begins

Mid-late 2025
Consultation on Reserved Matters application

Late 2025
Reserved Matters Application submission

Summer 2026
Anticipated completion of the travel hub

We anticipate construction of the travel hub to complete mid-2026.

Our proposals will invest £100m+ over the course of the 10 year joint venture agreement, which will deliver regeneration, economic growth, social value and environmental benefits for Prestwich and help to cement the village as one of the best places to live in the North West.

The council has agreed to provide the funding required to deliver the first phase of the scheme. It is not possible to confirm the capital cost of delivery of the first phase at the moment.

Following Bury Council’s purchase of the Longfield Centre, the Council and Muse have entered into a joint venture – the Prestwich Regeneration LLP – to deliver the project. The joint venture vehicle was established in October 2022 ahead of launching the community conversation on the plans.

The Prestwich Regeneration LLP will appoint Muse as its Development Manager to provide services to The Prestwich Regeneration LLP and enable it to deliver the regeneration benefits.

Muse is a nationwide placemaker with almost 40 years of experience creating mixed-use communities across the UK. We have a track record of leading complex, mixed-use regeneration gives us the experience to deliver successful places, with the emphasis on sustainability, community and quality.

We’re working with partners in 36 places across the UK from Bradford to Brentford, from Salford to Lewisham, with close to 2,500 new homes and 968,400 sq ft of workspace currently on site and a gross development value of over £1.34bn.

We combine local insight with the resources and capabilities of a nationwide organisation. Our regional businesses are based in Manchester, Leeds, London and Birmingham.

As part of Morgan Sindall Group, we have the financial strength of a leading UK construction and regeneration group with an annual revenue of £3.6bn.

Our focus is on strong partnerships in the many places we work across the UK and our national strategic joint ventures, The English Cities Fund – with Legal & General and Homes England – and Waterside Places with the Canal & River Trust.

We have appointed Vinci Building to construct the travel hub

They have a proven track record of construction throughout the UK and aim to garner a strong relationship with the local community throughout the project’s development.

You can read more about their appointment by reading our blog here.

If you have a question related to day-to-day construction work or how the work may impact you, we encourage you to get in touch with Vinci directly by contacting Adam Lynch – adam.lynch@vinci-building.co.uk

Both parties have shared regeneration ambitions for Prestwich and recognised that by working together in partnership this would accelerate progress.

Muse was selected as a JV partner following a commercial and investment-based decision by the council, which was set out in its cabinet report dated October 2021. Bury Council appointed Muse pursuant to powers under the Localism Act 2011 (s1), the Local Government Act 2003 (s12) and case law, to enable the regeneration of Prestwich Village.

Muse and Bury Council formed the Prestwich Regeneration LLP Joint Venture in October 2022 to accelerate the regeneration of Prestwich Village.

The regeneration of the Longfield Centre is being delivered as a joint venture between Bury Council and Muse. Muse will act as development manager for the Joint Venture to deliver the regeneration works.

Once the regeneration and development works are complete, Bury Council will own parts of the development and have responsibility for its operation and management. Other parts of the development such as the residential will be owned by long-term investors and private purchasers.

As part of planning the delivery of the project, we have prepared construction management and phasing plans, which prioritise minimising disruption for local residents and businesses. This includes putting in place a variety of measures such as considerate work hours, and noise and dust mitigation measures.

The construction works of the Travel Hub will be undertaken Vinci Building. The contractor will be required to meet the requirements of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), which details the phasing, logistics and impact on the environment. The CEMP was reviewed and approved by the Council’s Planning Department before work commenced on site. The CEMP covers all aspects of construction, including but not limited to noise, air quality, dust, vehicle movements, site welfare, etc.

Our plans still need to be finalised but we are having positive discussions with the NHS and local GP practices about relocating health and GP services within the building.

We have carefully designed the spaces to ensure that we deliver a highly accessible new destination in the heart of Prestwich Village. All of the proposed new buildings, facilities and public realm will be delivered to be fully accessible and adhere with building regulations, the Equality Act and industry guidance on accessibility.

We have also undertaken specific engagement with with the Bury Hearing Hub and Bury Society For Blind & Partially Sighted People, whom will be completing design reviews ahead of the planning submission.

In the Travel Hub, we are providing:

• 254 standard parking bays
• 30 EV bays
• 1 EV accessible bay
• 14 Accessible bays
• 2 car club bays

In response to feedback from the first conversation, we have now designed additional car parking on Rectory Lane next to the Community Hub, for people with mobility issues.

In terms of the homes, more details will be released in a Reserved Matters application which we will bring forward later this year.

The travel hub has been designed to minimise visual impact, the potential for overlooking and loss of privacy for nearby residents. As part of this we are planning to deliver a green buffer made up of new trees and planting in the areas between Highfield Road / Highfield Place and the travel hub.

Other key design changes we made included lowering the height by removing a full floor and moving the building further from the boundary.

None of the proposed new buildings in the masterplan will be taller than the Radius building.

Following support for the approach during consultation, the plan is to remove the existing fountain and incorporate new public art installations throughout the development.

Muse has a long track record of delivering a positive legacy, creating opportunities for communities to prosper economically, physically, socially and sustainably. It’s a key pillar of our combined social impact, sustainability and placemaking strategy, known as ‘Better by Muse’.

We’ve created guidelines to make sure that what we are doing together results in better outcomes for the people who work in, visit and live in the places we create.

Through our partnership approach, and genuine engagement, we know we can enable positive change that is truly transformational, creating resilient and sustainable neighbourhoods that thrive.

At the start of any programme of regeneration, we listen to community need and use that to shape a social impact strategy, embedding ambitions into the design of a place and into the procurement of the supply chain, so everyone is aligned. From there, we monitor and report on social impact outcomes and outputs.

We want to create a positive legacy in Prestwich for years to come. Our plans will deliver lots of social and economic benefits for the local community. Muse will also use an industry leading tool, Social Value Bank, to help measure and maximise the social value of the project.

• £100m investment in the local economy.
• Provide key local services and community spaces in the planned new community hub.
• Create 130 construction jobs and support around 350 jobs in the village centre following the redevelopment increase spending in the village centre and generate £850,000 per year in additional business rates and council tax.

A Crime Impact Statement was submitted with the application which outlined measures that the development will need to follow in order to manage any risk of crime or anti-social behaviour.

Feedback from the first community conversation highlighted the importance of ensuring that the regeneration is sustainable.

We will deliver energy and water efficient buildings to minimise carbon in operation and seek to use sustainable building materials to reduce upfront embodied carbon.

We are planning lots of green spaces, trees, planting and things like nest boxes to make the site more biodiverse and wildlife friendly, as well as green infrastructure including sustainable urban drainage systems and electric vehicle charging points.

The regeneration will promote active travel with connections to local walking and cycling routes, cycle storage, and easy access to Prestwich’s frequent tram and bus services.

Our plans are also being developed with the aim to help Bury Council achieve its ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2038, as well as fulfil Muse’s objectives for sustainable development which include:

• Building new developments that are carbon neutral in their operation
• Delivering a net gain in biodiversity, whilst providing high quality green spaces
• Eliminating waste and improving resource efficiency through circularity
• Creating high quality spaces where people can live, work and thrive while benefiting health and well-being
• Delivering social value, economic and environmental benefits for the local communities we work in
• Addressing wider issues such as sustainable water consumption, meeting and exceeding industry best practice standards for sustainable development, as well as providing sustainable transport infrastructure

• The public realm has been designed with nature considerations at its core. The design is being developed to enhance and develop new habitat types to help deliver a biodiversity net gain alongside the creation of places and spaces that people enjoy spending time within.
• The ambition of the design is to exceed the 10% figure within the Environment Act. The team have set themselves an aspirational target for the development proposals of between 15-20%.
• The landscape design proposes significant areas of shrub planting, a target of over 100 new trees along with a number rain gardens. The team will work alongside the ecologists to provide species that maximise habitat diversity and are resilient to longer term climate change.
• We are also looking at the potential of delivering green roof terraces and things like nest boxes.

By moving parking out of the Longfield Centre we want to reduce traffic passing through the site and encourage active travel options by providing easy pedestrian and cycle access, connections to local cycling and walking routes, as well as convenient links to Prestwich’s tram and bus and services.

The travel hub on Fairfax Road will also include electric vehicle chargers, cycle parking, and other facilities designed to promote sustainable and active travel.

We have also prepared a Travel Plan with measures to encourage residents and visitors to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport to get around.

Emissions and noise pollution associated with the Travel Hub has been extensively monitored and analysed as part of the wider Environmental Impact Assessment submitted with the planning application.

Extensive mitigation has been implemented to prevent noise and air pollution affecting the local area. You can read more about these measures in the Construction and Environment Management Plan (CEMP) here.

Bury Council has declared a climate emergency and set a target to be carbon neutral by 2038 and Muse is committed to building new developments that are carbon neutral in their operation as part of the company’s sustainability strategy.

We will deliver energy and water efficient buildings to minimise carbon in operation and seek to use sustainable building materials to reduce upfront embodied carbon. The regeneration will include lots of new green spaces and planting to make the site more biodiverse, alongside green infrastructure including sustainable urban drainage systems and electric vehicle charging points.

Our plans are being shaped with the aim of achieving excellent on the Building Research Establishment Assessment Methodology (BREEAM).

We are developing the residential elements of the design with the Passivhaus methodology in mind. This includes looking at incorporating improved thermal insulation, reduced air permeability and solar controlled glazing. We are also looking at developing a fossil fuel-free services strategy incorporating high efficiency and sustainable systems such as PV and waste water heat recovery systems.

We are relocating car parking currently in the centre of the site to a new multi-storey Travel Hub off Fairfax Road, which will contain 301 spaces, electric vehicle charging points, and cycle storage.

A Transport Assessment was submitted as part of the planning application. A key part of the Assessment has been to determine the amount of car parking spaces that should be provided to ensure that the village centre will be sustainable, accessible and able to thrive without increasing congestion on the local roads.

There will be several temporary road closures during its construction which we will communicate in advance.

We are continuing to review how the planned new Travel Hub will be managed, including whether a level of charging will be introduced.

It is currently envisaged that long stay parking may require some form of charging, however we are still working on a number of options. We will provide more information on our plans for this when known.

Using the detailed parking surveys that were completed during the planning process, we are delivering 301 spaces in the new Travel Hub, including spaces for EV charging points.

We are also proposing 41 additional car parking spaces across the site, which will be a mix of accessible, on-street and drop off spaces, as well as private parking for new homes.

In order to maintain the current levels of car parking in the village, the new Travel Hub needs to be three storeys. The building design and heights will be in-keeping with the village and maximise access to natural light.

Careful consideration has been given to the relationship of the proposed Travel Hub to the Old Lady of Grace Church. The travel hub is 12.3 metres above ground level facing Fairfax Road, and the north side is 13.980 metres above the current Fairfax level. None of the proposed new buildings in the masterplan will be taller than the Radius building.

These key changes were a direct result of stakeholder feedback from local residents during the consultation.

There are a total of 342 parking spaces in total, with 301 in the new Travel Hub at Fairfax Road.

In the 301 space Travel Hub, there are a total of 15 disabled bays. In response to feedback from the first conversation we are also planning additional car parking on Rectory Lane next to the Community Hub for people with mobility issues.

The Travel Hub’s location is designed to help reduce traffic along Rectory Lane and provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists, supporting wider plans to promote active travel across Prestwich, with connections to local walking and cycling routes, and easy access to frequent tram and bus services.

Relocating the car park will also free up the land required to deliver our vision for regenerating the site and creating a new destination in the heart of Prestwich Village.

The Prestwich scheme was aimed at improving the public realm, encouraging walking and cycling, and creating a greener, safer environment for all road users.

There would be no plans to reverse this, given the current priorities around encouraging walking and cycling and the use of public transport, with the council and Transport for Greater Manchester planning to further improve pedestrian crossing on Bury New Road.

The new masterplan has been developed to enhance wayfinding around the village centre with improved connectivity in both north-south and east-west directions and easy pedestrian accessibility to the proposed Travel Hub, Metrolink stop and Bury New Road.

We are also planning a new wayfinding strategy, which will include signage. We will provide more details once our design plans are finalised, ensuring that the village centre is easily navigable and accessible.

The redevelopment of the Longfield Centre will require the deconstruction of the existing buildings.

We are continuing to engage with existing Longfield Centre tenants about their plans for the future and interest in being part of the scheme.

One of our key ambitions for the regeneration of the Longfield Centre is to nurture and enhance Prestwich’s strong business community by complementing the high street with new flexible spaces that meet the needs of independent traders.

We have extended leases for the Longfield Centre tenants to 2026, where we anticipate to take vacant possession of the site. This will then make way for the demolition of the existing shopping centre.

Due to deterioration of part of the centre’s roof, four units – Budget Savers, Card Factory, Iceland, and Percivals – have needed to close earlier than originally planned for health and safety reasons.

Tenants were given the opportunity to extend their lease, up until the vacant possession of the site which is planned for 2026.

Feedback from the first conversation asked us to prioritise attracting local and independent businesses and provide spaces for businesses to locate during construction. We are proposing to provide a range of retail unit sizes, including smaller spaces that would be suitable for independent operators, such as in the Market Hall.

We are continuing to engage with existing Longfield Centre tenants about their plans for the future and interest in being part of the scheme.

It is too early in the process to provide this information, but we are delivering the scheme with the aim of providing a number of retail and leisure spaces that have accessible price points for independent businesses.

In response to feedback from the first conversation, we’ve increased the amount of retail space and removed one of the proposed residential buildings, which has provided space for a larger market building, and a better connection to the planned village square.

We are continuing to engage with existing Longfield Centre tenants about their plans for the future and interest in being part of the scheme.

We encourage people to register their interest in taking a retail space via our website where you will receive updated as soon as they come available.

We encourage people to register their interest in taking a retail space via our website where you will receive updated as soon as they come available.

It is not anticipated the Istanbul Grill will be impacted by the regeneration of the Longfield Centre.