The bright yellow mural painted on the side of the library tells the story of better times. It shows amongst other things, Blackpool tower which was built just down the road. There are two figures playing football. A reminder that this was the birthplace of Manchester United.
United have long since moved on, as have the once proud companies that employed thousands in this part of East Manchester.
Welcome to Newton Heath. Two miles east of Central Manchester, you can see the Hilton Tower from there and yet it could be an age away from the bright lights and economic activity.
The area today has one of the worst unemployment rates in Manchester with almost half the working age population jobless, including those on incapacity benefit and income support. It has a high rates of crime and is also home to some of the poorest children in the country .It is made of predominantly of the white working class living in 1960’s council blocks or the traditional two up two down housing.
The library stands close to both of the transport links that saw the growth of the area, the Rochdale canal and the Oldham Road.
The former was completed at the end of the 18th century. It was the creation of James Brindley linking the Pennines with the hub of Manchester and the port of Liverpool, linking the coal fields with the mills and ports. At its height it was carrying a million tonnes of cargo annually
The Oldham Road had been a route east of Manchester since Roman Times, but the 18th century saw it turnpiked and with that it became as did the canal a route for weavers bringing their finished goods into Manchester and taking the raw material back to the mills.
Its history goes back further
It took its name quite simply from the Old English translation of the old town on the heath. There were originally four heaths or village greens within its boundaries .Its first real mention was as a place where French Huguenots settled during the 16th century. They had fled religious persecution on the continent and brought with them cotton and linen weaving skills. Linen would be laid out on the fields to dry.
With the coming of the transport routes, Cottonopolis came to Newton Heath. There was a large silk mill which produced a soft silk fabric used for ribbons. The banks of the Canal were lined with weaving mills and dye works
Industrialisation followed along the transport links. Match manufacturing, glass works and rope works began as well as small back to back low cost housing for the migrant workforce.
The opening of the railway in 1840 brought more changes to the area. Two main lines linking Manchester with Leeds and Oldham crossed the area and in 1877, the Newton Heath railways sheds were opening. At their height they employed over 2000 workers and spawned a football team which later moved across the city and became known as Manchester United.
During the 20th century the area became a major engineering centre. Companies such as Mather & Platt, Avro and Heenan & Froude were all based in the area.Mather and Platt found fame in building the Blackpool tower.Avro was the first company to register solely as an aircraft manufacturer and amongst other things built components for the Lancaster bomber in the Second World War.
As with much manufacturing the companies did not survive the 1970’s and 1980’s which saw unemployment rise and the area slid into a rapid decline. It was estimated that 60% of jobs vanished between 1975-85 and this was aligned with a population loss of around 13%
.Unlike other areas of East Manchester such as Ancoats which is seeing the building of new offices or Beswick with the Commonwealth Games stadium and one of the biggest Wal-Mart in Europe, a lot of redevelopment has passed it by.
Take a walk around Newton Heath today and you will see an area badly in need of major renovation.Many buildings are empty and in need of repair.There are a great deal of empty spaces where industrial units once stood.The once proud town hall, its red brick turrets standing on the Oldham Road, is boarded up, its lower floors occupied by a second hand furniture shop and an adult only store.
Old Church Street, its main shopping thoroughfare is home to discount stores with plastic containers piled high, pawn brokers and betting shops.
Work will begin later this year on redeveloping the road. It will include re-laying the road, new paving and street furniture such as benches and the provision of well-lit car parks to the rear of the shops. In addition the area around the canal will be improved with better views.
Eddie Smith Eddie Smith, deputy chief executive of New East Manchester
The enhanced high street will serve the local community better as well as attracting new residents to use the area."
The new residents will come from two new housing developments, both on the Oldham Road. Work is currently taking place on the once derelict site of the L’Oreal factory
Coleen Scott a project for New East Manchester explained to me that
“An important aspect to the future of the high street is to generate greater footfall. Some of this will be achieved by residential development in the area. Planning consents are in place for over 500 new housing units - a mix of houses and apartments in the immediate vicinity. “
Down the Oldham Rd stands the space age design of Central One Transport Interchange. Its gleaming structure bathed in blue light at dusk seems a world away from the urban decay just up the road. It was built as a 21st century transport interchange where commuters would arrive for work at the new business park. The tram lines go nowhere. They were delayed as the government would not fund the costs of the Greater Manchester authority. Its wide open roads are used primarily as a place for learner drivers to practice their skills.
At its opening Tom Russell, the chief executive of the New East Manchester redevelopment agency said
“Central Park is the main economic generator for new East Manchester driving forward the transition from heavy industry to new technology. It is imperative that we have good transport links such as these to attract more global technology businesses.”
Central Park was an £18m venture aimed at nurturing local talent in partnership with Manchester’s top universities. Much of the first phase of the development has been taken up. It is home to Fujitsu’s regional headquarters as well as the new technology institute and Business creation unit of its educational hub. East Manchester estimates that it will provide up to 4,500 jobs over the next 10 years.
It is Saturday night and Old Church Street couldn’t be more distinct from the glitter of Manchester city centre. Youths in black tracksuits are hanging around,their hoods pulled tightly over their heads.Some hassle people to buy alcohol form the local off licence. Children no older that 10 are scrabbling for enough money to buy chips and curry sauce from the Indian takeaway. Inside the pub men in their late fifties are playing cards. They have been in their most of the day and one decides to have an impromptu press up competition. In the background the big screen shows live American horse racing. Further up the street, young and old alike are poised with their dabbers to begin the night’s bingo session in the working men’s club.
How would they be voting in a three weeks time and will it change their life?
A bird's eye view of Newton Heath and its issues
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