Moss Side
| Moss Side | |
|---|---|
 Alexandra Road in Moss Side, looking towards the Beetham Tower | |
| Population | Expression error: "10,977 (2001 Census)" must be numeric |
| OS grid reference | SJ835955 |
| • London | 162 mi (261 km) SE |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MANCHESTER |
| Postcode district | M16, M14 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Moss Side is an inner city, residential area and electoral ward of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies 1.9 miles (3.1 km) south of Manchester city centre and has a population of around 11,000. Moss Side is bounded by the neighbourhoods of Hulme, Old Trafford, Fallowfield, and Rusholme on the north, west, south and east respectively.
Historically a part of Lancashire, Moss Side was formerly a rural township and chapelry within the parish of Manchester and hundred of Salford. Following the Industrial Revolution there was a process of unplanned urbanisation and a rapid increase in population size. The industrial growth of the area resulted in a densely populated area, so much so, that a part of the township of Moss Side was amalgamated into the expanding city of Manchester in 1885, with the rest joining in 1904.[1]
Moss Side is the home of a multi-ethnic community, the result of several waves of immigration to Britain. In the mid-19th century, Moss Side attracted Irish people fleeing the Great Famine. Migrants from the Indian subcontinent and Caribbean settled in the locality during the 1950s and 1960s, and by the 1970s Moss Side was the hub of Manchester's Afro-Caribbean community.[2] Analysts trace the 1980s boom in Manchester's gang crime to social deprivation in Moss Side, where it was difficult to make money by legitimate means.[2] Trade in illegal narcotics and firearms in the area gave rise to Manchester's nickname of "Gunchester" and the "Bronx of Manchester"; Moss Side has been the site of several high profile shootings associated with gangs and drugs during the 1990s and into the 21st century.[2]
The Alexandra Park is an ornamental public garden in Moss Side. From 1923, Moss Side was the location of Manchester City F.C.s stadium, at Maine Road. There are two breweries in Moss Side. The Royal Brewery brewed Kestrel, McEwan's and Harp Lager, but is now managed by Scottish and Newcastle for the production of Foster's Lager. Hydes Brewery brews traditional beers including Hydes' Bitter and the cask version of Boddingtons – the latter since the closure of the Strangeways Brewery in 2005.
History
Mass development in Moss Side occurred at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries when large numbers of red brick terraced houses were built, and soon attracted numerous Irish immigrants and other working people.
During the Manchester Blitz of World War II many of the terraced houses were damaged by German bombing on the night of December 22/23 1940.
Large numbers of West Indian and Asian immigrants arrived in the area during the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1970s Manchester City Council demolished many of the Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses to the west of Moss Side and replaced these with new residential properties.
In 1981 the Moss Side area was one of England's inner city areas affected by riots, which exploded as racial tension between the local Black community and the police became exacerbated. It has also one of those which has suffered a problem with gun crime in south Manchester, and along with the neighbouring districts of Hulme, Longsight and Old Trafford has come to national attention, from the late 1980s into the early 2000s, for "turf wars" between rival drugs gangs, resulting in a number of fatal shootings.[2]
Many of the flats in Moss Side and neighbouring Hulme were demolished in the late 1990s to make way for new low rise homes. Housing on the Alexandra Park Estate has been renovated and the streets redesigned to reduce the fear of crime.
Since the early 1990s there has been a steady rise in the Somali population in the area as a result of people seeking asylum. In the 2000s, there has also been a concentration of Iraqi and Romanian asylum seekers in Moss Side.
Maine Road
From 1923, Moss Side was the location of Manchester City Football Club's stadium at Maine Road which on several occasions in its early years drew crowds of more than 80,000. However its capacity was gradually reduced over the years and by the mid-1990s it held just under 35,000 spectators all seated. Plans to rebuild the stadium to seat 45,000 were abandoned in favour of moving to the City of Manchester Stadium. Maine Road has since been demolished and a mixed development of two-, three-, and four-bedroom houses, flats, a health centre and a primary school is being built on the site.[citation needed]
Breweries
There are two breweries in Moss Side. The Royal Brewery brewed Kestrel, McEwan's and Harp Lager, but is now managed by Scottish and Newcastle for the production of Foster's Lager. Hydes Brewery brews traditional beers including Hydes' Bitter and the cask version of Boddingtons - the latter since the closure of the Strangeways Brewery in 2005. The more widely available keg version of 'Boddies' is no longer brewed in Manchester. Hydes also brews Harp lager under contract.
Governance
Manchester Central constituency is represented by the Labour Party MP Tony Lloyd. Lloyd recently organised the face lift scheme for many houses in Moss Side in an attempt to change the image of the area.[citation needed]
Moss Side is a ward within the local authority of Manchester City Council. The ward is represented by Labour Councillors Sameen Ali, Alistair Cox and Roy Walters.[3]
Geography
Moss Side lies on the A5103 (Princess Road), the main road out of Manchester towards Northenden, Manchester Airport, the M56 motorway and Chester. Parallel to this is Alexandra Road which continues as Alexandra Road South past Alexandra Park (Alexandra Road was formerly one of two main shopping streets in Moss Side). Landmarks on Princess Road are the Royal Brewery and the former Princess Road Bus Depot (built originally for the tramways in 1909).
The eastern border of the Moss Side Ward is bounded in part by Withington Road. Parts of the west border are bounded by Wilmslow Road, where it meets Whitworth Park, and Parkfield Street. To the south the border includes Alexandra Park, Horton Road and part of Platt Lane. To the north the ward border mainly runs along Moss Lane East.[4]
The built environment of Moss Side is broadly characterised as a high-density residential area.This includes mainly Victorian and Edwardian terraces to the east and centre, with more recent developments, built in the 1970s to the west of Princess Road.
| ||||
The Moss Side Sports and Leisure Complex was upgraded for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and has a gym and a variety of other sporting facilities (north of Moss Lane West).
Demography
| Moss Side Compared[5][6][7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Census 2001 | Moss Side | Manchester | England |
| Total population | 10,977 | 441,200 | 49,138,831 |
| Foreign born | 36% | 15% | 9.2% |
| White | 48% | 81% | 91% |
| Asian | 9.0% | 9.1% | 4.6% |
| Black | 32% | 4.5% | 2.3% |
| Christian | 52% | 62% | 72% |
| Muslim | 15% | 9.1% | 3.1% |
| Hindu | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| No religion | 16% | 16% | 15% |
| Over 75 years old | 3.9% | 6.4% | 7.5% |
| Unemployed | 7.9% | 5.0% | 3.3% |
According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 in the Moss Side electoral ward of Manchester there were 10,977 residents of which 48.41% were male and 51.59% were female. Compared against the demography of England, Moss Side is home to a diverse range of people.
Moss Side and neighbouring Hulme constitute the heart of Manchester's Black community and a number of commercial and social organisations which cater for the community are based in this area. Social organisations include the West Indian Sports and Social Club, the Chrysalis Project,[8] and the nearby "African Caribbean Mental Health Service".[9]. Commercial organisations include Caribbean bakeries and patty shops, as well as grocery and clothes shops, mainly centred on Claremont and Princess Roads. The Caribbean Carnival of Manchester is held in Alexandra Park every August.[10]
Creating new inclusive facilities which serve the Black community and others has been key to the regeneration of Moss Side, following a history which has included a considerable experience of racism and social exclusion. The Millennium Powerhouse Centre caters for 8-25 year olds and includes a music studio, fitness studio, dance studio, sports hall and offers information to young people along with recreational and sport groups.[11] The Windrush Millennium Centre is in Alexandra Road. In 2003, the failing Ducie High School was replaced by the "Manchester Academy". with the aim of overcoming barriers to education and achievement faced by young people in the community. In April 2009, the Manchester Evening News reported the Academy has met with some success in raising educational standards in the area, with 62% of pupils achieving A-C grades at GCSE, in 2008, compared with 13% at the former Ducie High School.[12] It was rated by Ofsted as "outstanding".[12]
Notable people
The author Anthony Burgess, although born in Harpurhey, lived in Moss Side as a child.[13]
References
- Notes
- ^ A select gazetteer of local government areas, Greater Manchester County, Greater Manchester County Record Office, 2003-07-31, retrieved 2008-10-17
- ^ a b c d Ravenscroft, Nick (2006-09-11). "Killing surprises few in Moss Side". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- ^ "Councillors by Ward: Moss Side". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ "Map of Moss Side Ward". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- ^ United Kingdom Census 2001 (2007-01-17). "2001 Census; Key facts sheets". manchester.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ United Kingdom Census 2001 (2001). "Manchester (Local Authority)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ United Kingdom Census 2001 (2001). "Moss Side (Ward)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Chrysalis Project".
- ^ "Greater Manchester Black History Trail". Acts of Achievement. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- ^ "Caribbean Carnival of Manchester".
- ^ "Millennium Powerhouse Centre". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- ^ a b Qureshi, Yakub (2009-04-28). "Reborn school a class act". Manchester Evening News. Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ Ratcliffe, Michael (2007) Anthony Burgess. In: "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford University Press
- Bibliography
- Crofton, H. T. (1903), Old Moss Side, Manchester
- Porter, J. (1904), In and Around Moss Side
External links
- "Black History trail".
- "Caribbean Carnival of Manchester".
- "GENUKI article on Moss Side". GENUKI. Retrieved 2009-04-25.