Gorton
The neighbourhood of Gorton covers a vast area, encompassing 683 hectares. Just a few miles from Manchester City Centre, Gorton is perfectly situated for access to all of the shops and bars that the city offers.
Gorton boasts a conservation area filled with large Victorian terraces and parks all within close distance to the improved shopping facility proposed for Gorton district centre. The area is also home to three of east Manchester’s high schools – Cedar Mount, St Peters and Wright Robinson.
Close to the heart of Gorton is the Monastery of St Francis, a 19th Century Church currently undergoing a £6.5m restoration to turn it into a conference centre and community facilities.
Leisure
Gorton offers a number of sporting facilities that cannot be found anywhere else in east Manchester. Debdale Park is situated in the heart of Gorton and co features a number of unique sporting opportunities including a large reservoir which facilitates sporting activities such as sailing and canoeing. There are also a number of other sporting facilities including tennis and basketball courts, skateboarding ramp and football pitches.
The Debdale Outdoor Centre, situated on Hyde Road, organises water sports at Debdale Park and also runs a number of external excursions including abseiling, rock climbing and orienteering. The centre caters for people of all ages and abilities.
Crowcroft Park is a true community park. Covering 6.6 hectares it offers a basketball court, toddler play area and roller skating and skateboard ramps. There are also a number of smaller parks scattered throughout Gorton.
The Gorton Gymnastic Centre offers Olympic standard apparatus and a wide range of gymnastic courses for young people of all skills levels.
West Gorton is the location of The Manchester Climbing Centre in a restored Church and offers a wide range of climbing events and walls of varying difficulties. The centre also hosts a number of other activities including yoga.
Belle Vue race track in Gorton hosts a number of grey hound races on a regular basis. With a 4100 capacity it also caters for parties with dining services available.
Debdale Park
Hyde Road, Gorton, Manchester
Debdale Outdoor Centre
1073 Hyde Road, Gorton, Manchester M18 7LJ
Telephone: 0161 223 5182
Gorton Gymnastics Centre
Hyde Road, Gorton M18
Telephone: 0161 223 5705
The Manchester Climbing Centre
St Benedict’s Church, Bennett Street, West Gorton M12 5ND
Telephone: 0161 230 7006
Belle Vue Stadium
Kirkmanshulme Lane, Gorton M18 7BA
Telephone: 0161 223 8000
Crowcroft Park
Stockport Road, Longsight, Manchester
Telephone: 0161 223 8278
Lees Street Recreational Ground
Lees Street / Ogden Lane, Gorton
Gorton Park
Hyde Road / Queensland Road, Gorton
Greenbank Park
Mount Road / Manor Road, Gorton
Sunnybrow Park
Howarth Road, Gorton
Education and Learning
Gorton is home to the only two high schools in east Manchester, as well as a large number of primary schools and the Wright Robinson Sports College.
Cedar Mount High School is situated on Mathews Lane and offers places for almost 900 pupils from the east Manchester area and was announced as the most improved school in the UK in 2005. In October 06 a £24.5million Education Village was given the go-ahead, which will bring together Cedar Mount and Melland Special Education Needs on one campus. A new sports hall, community wing, ICT facilities are all part of the ambitious plans for Gorton.
Melland High School is currently the only special needs high school in east Manchester, accommodating over 100 pupils from north, east and central Manchester. The school has recently received a number of awards including Investors in People, School Achievement award and Healthy Schools award.
In 1999 St Peters High School opened in Gorton to re-house the pupils from the former school in Openshaw that was demolished to make way for new housing in Openshaw. It has an intake of 1,000 students aged between 11 and 16 from across east Manchester.
Wright Robinson Specialist College specialises in sport and arts for pupils aged 11 to 16. In 2005 MCC announced £25m funding through a PFI initiative to build one of the best resourced schools in the UK. The first phase of construction is due to complete in September 2007. Pupils will move into this building while the old school is demolished to make way for the new state-of-the-art building.
Cedar Mount High School
Mathews Lane, Gorton M18 7SP
Telephone: 0161 248 7009
St Peters High School
Kirkmanshulme Lane, Gorton M12 4WB
Telephone: 0161 248 1550
Melland High School
Holmcroft Road , Gorton M18 7NG
Telephone: 0161 223 9915
Wright Robinson Sports College
Abbey Hey Lane, Gorton M18 8RL
0161 370 5121
Community
Gorton has a rich and vibrant community life, supported by a wealth of community and faith organisations. Highlights include Gorton Community Centre on Highmead Street, the Angels Community Centre near the monastery, Gorton's two UK Online Centres, and drop-in and support sessions at The Oasis Centre on Wellington Street, and at Rainbow Haven in Abbey Hey. The area also contains a number of active churches. Gorton library is situated in the town centre, and hosts various activities in addition to lending services, such as story-telling and computer facilities.
West Gorton Youth Centre is open five days a week, offering fun activities for children aged seven to sixteen. Activities include football, cooking, art dance and quizzes. A teenage parents’ group also operates every Tuesday afternoon with a variety of interesting activities including art and photography. A crèche is also available.
The Angels Centre
Endcott Close, Gorton M18 8BR
Telephone: 0161 223 3211
Rainbow Haven
St Paul & St John’s Church, 113 Abbey Hey Lane M18 7EN
Telephone: 0161 229 5819
Oasis
Collier House, Wellington Street, Gorton M18 8TX
Gorton Community Centre
Highmead Street, Gorton, M18 8PE
Telephone: 0161 231 7870
Gorton Library
Garatt Way, Gorton M18 8HE
Telephone: 0161 223 0775
West Gorton Youth Centre
Gorton Lane, West Gorton M12 5JT
Telephone: 0161 223 5299
West Gorton regeneration plans back on track
A revised masterplan for West Gorton in east Manchester has today been approved by Manchester City Council's Executive.
The regeneration work, phased over 10 years, will be undertaken by New East Manchester together with Manchester City Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and housing association, Guinness Northern Counties.
The area, which is one and a half miles from the city centre and covers 52 hectares (128 acres) will see the development of 1, 000 new homes, a park and a community hub which includes future plans for shops and a health centre.
These proposals include a development of 76 local authority flats on Pottery Lane, more semi-detached homes and a small number of bungalows on Gortonvilla Walk, new allotments and a new car park for Manchester Climbing Centre on Bennett Street.
Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester said: "The regeneration plans for West Gorton are back on track. Given the present economic conditions, it has been a real challenge to get to this stage, and we know how frustrating this has been for all involved, but thanks to the support from local residents, the City Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and particularly the housing association, Guinness Northern Counties, we are now in a position to deliver much-needed wholescale renewal for West Gorton over the next 10 years which will dramatically improve the lives of the people who live there by creating a safer and more attractive neighbourhood with improved local amenities."
Manchester City Council Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services Councillor Paul Andrews said: Manchester City Council has a long-standing commitment to transforming the West Gorton estate. We have worked hard to overcome the challenges and obstacles posed by the recession which have hindered our progress. And we are now at the point were we have approved a deliverable programme of transformation for the community of West Gorton.
This could not have been achieved without the hard work of the local tenants' and residents' association who have been supported all the way by their local councillors."
Population
The population for the Gorton area (including Gorton West) is 29,776.
Documents and reports