Deansgate North, Manchester

Manchester boasts the world’s first steam passenger railway. And it is at the site of the disused Exchange railway station, which dates back to 1884, that the Q-Park Deansgate North parking facility has been constructed.

Figure 4 Deansgate North historic facade

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Historical importance

The site is on the bank of the River Irwell and a footbridge links Manchester and Salford. The historical setting of this brand-new facility has been preserved as the Grade II listed sandstone viaduct and railway arches have been incorporated into the construction.

Due to the nature of the location, the construction process was extremely sensitive and complex. The railway line that borders the site had to remain operational and the external envelope had to be retained.

A contrasting lightweight steel and glass building sits on top of the car park structure. However, the parking facility incorporates modern technology and the newest insights in car park design. These include:

• High-speed shutters at the car entrance and door nodes, ensuring only legitimate access to the parking decks.

• Pinhole cameras at the barriers and payment machines connected to the CCTV surveillance system.

Q-Park signature features include:

• connection to the Q-Park Control Room (QCR) providing 24/7 customer service;

• two large glass-fronted lifts accessible from the spacious, glass-fronted pedestrian hub;

• amply-sized parking spaces denoted by black pads, enabling motorists to manoeuvre more easily;

• energy-saving LED lighting activated by motion sensors;

• light fittings orientated parallel to the one-way driving aisles help guide motorist through the car park;

• brighter light at the edge of the driving aisle encouraging pedestrians to walk along these well-lit paths;

• specially allocated spaces for blue badge holders, parents with children, VIPs and e-charging;

• payment options including contactless card payments;

• early-bird all-day tariff, season tickets and pre-booking.