Looking north along Old Mill Street
“…the estate suffered from high vacancy rates, population decline, poor quality housing and increasing social problems”
The last post was a tough act to follow!
The top photo this week was - as always - kindly provided by Steve Welsh and is from 2004. It shows the view looking north along Old Mill Street (located off Great Ancoats Street).
At the time the road ran through the Cardroom Estate. Built in the late 1970s on former industrial land, the estate suffered from high vacancy rates, population decline, poor quality housing and increasing social problems, with only 105 of its 204 properties occupied by 2000.
Despite these challenges, its strategic location close to Manchester city centre and major regeneration initiatives being driven by New East Manchester Limited - a partnership between Manchester City Council, English Partnerships, the North West Development Agency and local communities - made it well placed for renewal.
Cardroom was awarded Millennium Community status in 2000, creating an opportunity to transform the area into a sustainable mixed-use neighbourhood with improved housing, services, public spaces and stronger links to the wider regeneration of Ancoats and East Manchester. Urban Splash was chosen as lead developer and Will Alsop responsible for the original masterplan.
A key early move was the complete redesign of Old Mill Street itself. Designed by Grant Associates it forms the central public realm spine of New Islington
At the southern end, CHIPS (completed 2009 and on the right of the photo) became the most visible early landmark. Designed by Will Alsop / Alsop Architects and developed by Urban Splash, its three stacked “chip-like” forms sit alongside the Ashton Canal. The scheme delivers 142 apartments with ground-floor commercial space and was one of the first major residential projects in the masterplan.
In the centre of the photo is Lampwick Quay. The project was completed in 2021 and overlooks New Islington Marina to the west. Developed by Manchester Life Management Limited the 213-home scheme was designed by CallisonRTKL and delivered by jmarchitects with John Sisk & Son Ltd.
Most recently, the restoration of the Grade II listed Ancoats Dispensary (completed 2024) has brought a long-derelict landmark back into use. Led by Great Places Housing Group with Buttress, the £10m scheme restored the historic façades, rebuilt the central tower, and introduced 39 affordable apartments behind them.
Over the past 20 years the New Islington regeneration programme has transformed the former Cardroom Estate into a thriving mixed-use neighbourhood, delivering over 1,000 new homes alongside major investments in public realm, education, healthcare, transport and community facilities.