Garden hopes looking sunk

Council chiefs 'rule out' city centre landmark going back to design from its heyday

- ETHAN DAVIES

PICCADILLY Gardens is set to undergo a big transformation - but it's unlikely to look much like the old gardens many Mancunians fondly remember.

For much of the 20th century the city centre area, which opened in 1914, boasted botanical displays in a sunken space. A dramatic redesign in 2002 cast those into memory, and the current design, along with concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour, has fed nostalgia for the gardens in their heyday.

Potential designs for another revamp were first submitted to the council in autumn 2021, and are currently being whittled down.

The M.E.N understands that council bosses have all but ruled out the idea of going back to a 'sunken garden' display in the area, which saw a gradual decline from the 1960s - however, it's promised that the public will be invited to 'shape the future' of the space when a new plan has been decided on.