Multi-million pound regeneration of Alexandra Park

A £5.5m regeneration of Alexandra Park in Whalley Range will start on Tuesday.

More than 145 years after the architect Alexandra Hennell won a competition to design the park, his great granddaughters, Valley Hennell and Dianne King, will return to see the beginning of the work.

The plans will restore many of the original Victorian features and create a community green space that is fit for the 21st Century.

The multi-million pound project has been jointly funded by Manchester City Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund, with support funding coming from the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Lawn Tennis Association and Sport England. Alexandra Park was designed in 1868 by Alexander Hennell and was opened to the public in 1870. Hennell's design was experimental in its use of oval shaped grounds and curved pathways accommodating sport and activities, which contrasted with the more rigid geometry seen previously in Victorian landscapes.

The park will see physical improvements to the landscape relating to its original design. The Pavilion will be restored and extended, with the rear of the building opened up to overlook the lake. Chorlton Lodge will also be renovated creating community and staff office space.

And footpaths, along with the oval lawns in the park, will be reinstated where the original designs have been lost over time.

The regeneration of the park also aims to introduce three distinct zones, a natural zone, a community and formal zone will allow the park to meet the diverse needs of local residents.

Four tennis courts and a new cricket square with the aim of getting local people playing sport. The project will also give them the chance to learn more about its heritage and help look after the park in the future.

Councillor Rosa Battle, Manchester City Council executive member for culture and leisure, said: "It’s an honour to welcome Valley Hennell and Dianne King to the park originally designed by their great-grandfather nearly a century and half ago. Alexandra Hennell’s design was incredibly innovative for the time and I’m sure he’d see the current work as a fitting legacy."Visitors to Alexandra Park will see dramatic and exciting changes over the next 12 months as the project progresses."The regeneration is the culmination of years of planning and hard work and this historic park will be transformed into a focal point for the communities of Whalley Range, Moss Side, Hulme and Fallowfield."We know there was controversy about the tree felling earlier in the year and where possible changes were made to the plans without compromising the overall vision. The important thing now is that we continue to work together with the local community and make this a park we can all rightfully be proud of and enjoy."