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Contact

For more information please contact Andy Glover at the Forestry Commission
andy.glover@forestry.gov.uk

1. Past

Moston Vale lies in what was the Moston Brook valley - an area with a very colourful past. The area was once the site of the Manchester Fever Hospital (1871-1973) and Manchester United, then Newton Heath FC, had their pitch a stones throw away.

During the Second World War, the area suffered serious bomb damage and in the late 1960s the site became a domestic landfill - the stream that once flowed through Moston Brook was covered and now runs 30ft underground.

The area has always been well used by residents - the Dogs Home and Riding Stables are popular local features and Moston Valley football club has been set up as a local youth team.

In recent times however, parts of the site had become severely neglected and anti-social behaviour (fly tipping and joy riding) had made the site a bit of an eyesore and dangerous in places. Subsidence caused manhole covers to stand proud and glass and other materials from the landfill had resurfaced.

Red Rose Forest, through their landfill restoration project, Green Tips, has been working at Moston Vale for some time - carrying out work to help secure the site and introduce the community back to the area, with various events and school activities. However, significant investment was needed to expand this work across the whole project area.

2. Present

Moston Vale has been transformed into a quality area for recreation and a pleasant community woodland.

Native woodland, wildflower meadows and a recycled gravel footpath have all been created. A new sports pitch for Moston Valley football club, along with changing facilities will establish the area as valuable recreation space. New solar powered lighting along the Moston Valley Way, street trees planted with assistance from local communities and the Green Streets project both complement the improvements made.

Located in the centre of North Manchester's Housing Market Renewal Area and next to the Central Park business complex, Moston Vale is valuable green space which enhances the investment appeal of the area. Additional grant funding from Biffaward has help to create additional facilities for sport and informal recreation. Moston Vale now provides many more benefits for the local community than it did as a closed landfill site and the improvements have created a quality setting for new investment.