Manchester City Council (MCC) and Muse have secured planning consent for a new Culture Hub in Wythenshawe.
The hub, which forms the first part of the joint venture partners’ ambitious £500m plans to transform Wythenshawe town centre, will include space for food and drink on the ground floor with the first floor home to a mix of artist studio spaces and flexible areas for workshops, exhibitions, classes or community events, and the second floor housing a new 200-seater performance space.
The works are being funded through £20m of funding provided by the government and a further £11.9m from the council. Future plans for the area also include a new food hall spilling out onto the public square and new workspaces for independent start-ups and growing local businesses.
Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said: “The Culture Hub planning approval is a really exciting milestone in the long-term regeneration of Civic. This is a statement of intent of how serious we are about investing in Wythenshawe’s town centre – and this is an early sign of what is to come. We want to build on the destination potential of Civic, create opportunities for local people and visitors to spend time in the area, and widen the offer for our residents to enjoy and participate in the arts right on their doorstep.
“High streets are the soul of our communities and we are investing heavily in our town centres across the city, including Gorton and Moston, to celebrate how they bring people together, support businesses and help grow local economies. This is just the start for Wythenshawe and the conversation we are having with local people is ongoing to make sure we can be guided by the very people who live and work in this community. I’d urge as many people as possible to tell us what they think about the future of their area.”
Joe Stockton, senior development manager from Muse, added: “Getting the green light for the new Culture Hub is a major milestone in our once in a generation plans to work with local people to transform Wythenshawe town centre. The feedback that we’ve received so far for the hub has been really positive with many seeing it as a creative space where people and groups of all ages can spend time, learn new skills and explore culture in a positive way. We look forward to getting started on construction later this year, which we hope the people of Wythenshawe will see as a significant sign of our intent to drive this project forward with their ongoing support.”
Construction of the Culture Hub is due to commence in autumn 2025 with the opening in early 2027.
