Trafford's Places
Carrington and Partington
Carrington and Partington occupy an area to the west of the Borough, separated from the primary conurbation by the Mersey Valley, Manchester Ship Canal and Carrington Moss.
Historically, the area remained largely undeveloped until the early 20th century, when industry was first associated with the Manchester Ship Canal, which facilitated new industry in the area including power generation, gas and chemical works.
It is essentially rural in characterCharacter includes all of the elements that go to make a place, how it looks and feels, its geography and landscape, its noises and smells, activity, people and businesses. This character should be understood as a starting point for all development. Character can be understood at three levels; the area type in which the site sits, its surroundings and the features of the site., with a small concentrated settlement and centre at Partington, while Carrington, although heavily developed by industry, is of a more open and dispersed characterCharacter includes all of the elements that go to make a place, how it looks and feels, its geography and landscape, its noises and smells, activity, people and businesses. This character should be understood as a starting point for all development. Character can be understood at three levels; the area type in which the site sits, its surroundings and the features of the site., where the historic village centre has all but been lost. The urban form of Partington is focussed around a retail centre in the village.
The area is undergoing significant change as land formerly used by industry is developed into new homes and places of business. There is a significant opportunity to introduce more innovative models for living and working as well as exemplar placemakingRecognising the distinctiveness of individual locations in plans, policies and proposals, and responding accordingly. and regeneration initiatives. Carrington Moss, a large area of peat bog, makes up the remainder of the area and provides significant open space. It includes a number of nature reserves and is also the location for training grounds for a number of nearby sports teams, including Manchester United, as well as hosting a number of equestrian centres.
Evolution
Local Character Areas
- Partington is an historic village, which has been largely lost through the development of mass built 20th century housing estates.
- Carrington also has a historic village centre, which is still evident but poorly preserved. It is dominated by the industrial landscape of the chemical works. Plans are under way to redevelop the area into an extensive residential neighbourhood and new business park through Places for Everyone.
- Carrington Moss represents the surviving green space in the area. It was historically cultivated to grow various crops for the markets of nearby Manchester. The area was also used to dispose of the city’s sewage.
- Carrington Power Station occupies the area north of Manchester Road and between the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal. A new gas powered power station has been built, with greener forms of energy storage and generation planned .
- Redundant railway corridors are evident in the landscape. These provide an opportunity for active travelMaking journeys by physically active means like walking, wheeling or cycling, rather than motor vehicle. or public transport connections between Carrington, Partington and the rest of the Trafford conurbation. The Carrington ‘Rides’ are an important local leisure resource and are remnants of the tram system that was used during the late 19th and early 20th century for large scale waste disposal, as part of large scale reclamation of the mossland.
- The Manchester Ship Canal is a significant heritage assetA building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest. It includes designated heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority (including local listing). that now provides a leisure and nature corridor along the western edge of the area.
- The River Mersey merges with the Manchester Ship Canal to the northern edge of the area and provides an additional recreation and natural corridor through its floodplains and river banks.