Miles Platting starts at Great Ancoats Street - less than half a mile east from the city centre. It covers another mile eastwards to Alan Turing Way. It goes from Oldham Road in the north to Old Mill Street and Bradford Road in the south - very close to the Commonwealth Games site. Oldham Road is a major route from the north into the city. See detailed map
Living in Miles Platting
Local council housing is about to get a multi-million pound investment that will make massive improvements to every home and the facilities and environment around. It's called a 'Private Finance Initiative' or PFI. Find out more about the exciting future for Miles Platting. And the area around is going to see big improvements through the exciting regeneration of East Manchester. Find out more
Homes on the eastern side of Mile Platting are just half a mile from the new 'East Manchester town centre' on the other side of Alan Turing Way. The modern complex includes an Asda superstore, and there'll be smaller local shops, banks, post office, a lively market, hotel and conference facilities, and a variety of bars and restaurants. There's a local supermarket, a few small shops and a post office on Varley Street. Homes on the western side (Ancoats) are not so well served for local shops - although they are much closer to city centre shopping, and right next to the Central Retail Park where there are large electrical, household, toy and sports stores.
The bars and restaurants of the 'Northern Quarter' are just over Great Ancoats Street. The vibrant city centre, with its shops, entertainment and leisure facilities is within walking distance from Ancoats, or a few minutes journey from the eastern side on one of the regular buses through the area. Things could get even better if the Metrolink tram system is extended to the southern part of the area - with fast, frequent trams to the city centre, and the City of Manchester stadium area, from new stations on Pollard Street and Holt Town (off Ashton New Road). The new Sportcity site on Alan Turing way is just a few hundred yards from homes in the north and east of Miles Platting. New sporting, entertainment and leisure facilities are within easy reach.
Miles Platting has its own swimming pool and fitness room on Varley Street. The recently-modernised local library, also on Varley Street includes the latest computer facilities, a children's crèche, new teaching rooms for training and learning courses, and a self-issue machine for book borrowing. And it's open longer hours - until eight in the evening on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
There's a thriving community centre on the Livesey Street/Oldham Road junction - look out for the mural by local youngsters. There are recreation grounds at Coleshill Street and Sandal Street near Alan Turing way on the eastern side, and at Wadeford Street off Oldham Road nearer the city centre.
As well as the PFI improvements to council homes, the Ancoats part of the area is set to benefit from a multi-million pound project that will see the mills cleaned up, renovated and converted into apartments, offices and other uses. New cafes, bars and amenities will open up as people move back to the area. Unsuitable housing will be replaced by new homes for rent and sale to make a vibrant urban village. The canals are being refurbished to create pleasant walkways into the heart of the city. See detailed map
Learning in Miles Platting
Primary school age children can go to St Marks CofE school on Holland Street, or Nicholas Varley school on Nelson Street (both on the eastern side of Miles Platting). Or there is Abbot Community primary, or St Patricks Catholic school (both on Livesey Street) just over Oldham Road. There are no secondary schools in the area - the nearest are North Manchester High school for boys in Charlestown and North Manchester Community school for girls in Moston.
Find out more about this area's schools and how well they perform. Go to Manchester Schoolfinder.
There's a children's centre for pre-school children on Winstanley Road, in the eastern side, and a playgroup for under-fives on Butler Street in Ancoats.
Find out more about council-run nurseries in this area. Go to Finding a Children's Centre.
There is an adult learning centre in the refurbished Victoria mill on Vickers Street. See detailed map
Find out more about adult education.
Housing in Miles Platting
About 80 percent of homes are rented from the City Council. The rest are privately-owned or rented from housing associations. But the face of housing in the area is set to change radically as plans to covert old mills, and replace unsuitable homes are put into action. There will be a greater variety, with more of a mixture of council housing, privately owned and housing association accommodation.
There are currently nearly 2,200 council homes here: more than half are houses (one- two- and three-bedroom, with just a few larger homes). The rest are mostly flats in six multi-storey blocks or either flats in small blocks. There are three blocks of flats where people over 60 can live independently but with support if they need it. One of the blocks is the historic Victoria Square just half a mile from the city centre. The flats there are benefiting from major improvements. See detailed map
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