Press
Manchester University (see Academies)
21st March 1967

Precinct '87!

Page 1 of 2

A fascinating glimpse of the 1967 plans for improvements to Manchester University's campus and the infrastructure of the surrounding areas, the idea being that the vision would be achievable by that distant year: 1987. This was the 'streets in the sky' era of town planning that resulted in Hulme's doomed deck access flats, The Crescents'. The piece states :

'There would be complete segregation of pedestrians from the remaining traffic by constructing a network of footpaths and bridges 21 feet above the service roads at first floor level. These footpaths would enable safe and rapid movement between the sections of the precinct occupied by 'Tech' in the north and the Manchester Corporation and University and hospitals to the south.'

Plans also include a new Medical School on Grafton Street, a shopping centre on Booth Street (now Booth Street West), a tower block of students' residencies and a sports centre.

In one way or another, all of these things came to pass. There is no specific mention of an extension of the Students' Union building (erected in 1957), but rumblings about the need for this were rife at the time. Twenty-three years after this piece was written, Manchester Academy was built, and included a bar and a bank.

Taken from the Manchester Independent Newspaper, written and edited by University of Manchester students. With thanks to James Peters at the University of Manchester Archives and Ben Ward at The University of Manchester Students' Union.