Work has begun on the UK's first mobility hub in Ancoats, Manchester.

The hub will act as part of Manchester City Council's regeneration and net zero plans. The mobility hub is a new concept which aims to prioritise green investment, public space, sustainable and active travel, and individual building design over space for car parking and vehicles.

Vehicle movements around Ancoats will be further reduced by the Hub's delivery centre, which will receive parcels and other deliveries, which will either be collected by residents or transferred to buildings via small electric vans and cargo bikes.

The hub will include 150 secure bike parking spaces and changing facilities, 102 Electronic vehicle charging points and up to 30 spaces for car club/car share schemes. There will also be 406 parking spaces for visitors and residents. The building has been designed by Buttress Architects LTD and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

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Commenting on the project Leader of the Council Bev Craig, said: "The redevelopment of Ancoats over the last two decades is an exemplar in urban renewal. And rightly so – the neighbourhood is internationally renowned and has been named one of the best places to live globally.

"This next phase of regeneration gives us an opportunity to think differently about how our residents occupy and interact with the space they live in. The Mobility Hub is a key part of this – helping to put the pedestrian, active travel and green public space as the focus of the neighbourhood, rather than the car.

"Upcoming development will deliver 1,500 new homes and the transformation of the local park in this part of our city centre and the Hub ensures that Ancoats will be not just renowned for regeneration, but for its sustainability – creating a low carbon, green neighbourhood that should be a model for future city centre investment."