The plans have been developed in partnership with Manchester City Council and will transform the public space by making it more attractive and welcoming to families.

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The Piccadilly Gardens plans include:

• the redevelopment of the pavilion building by replacing it with two new pavilion buildings linked by a covered area that will provide seven units of commercial space for restaurants and a coffee outlet
• improving lighting around the gardens to deter anti-social behavior and improve natural surveillance
• creating extra seating throughout the gardens, adding extra ‘soft landscaping’ with new shrubs and plants, as well as raising the grassed areas and re-laying pedestrian thoroughfares.

Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Piccadilly Gardens is a major thoroughfare used by hundreds of thousands of people a week and for all the debate it generates it remains a well-used public space.

“Clearly, though, there is potential for improvement and we look to ensure that this is achieved to deliver a welcoming and attractive destination in its own right."

Bill Hughes, head of LGIM Real Assets, said: “Through our partnership with Manchester City Council and our investment in Piccadilly Gardens, our aim is to create a better-used and more welcoming public space.

“L&G has a longstanding track record of working with progressive local authorities to bring forward regeneration and improvements to social infrastructure projects.

“We see Piccadilly Gardens as a prime example of this kind of collaboration in action.”

The proposals were discussed at a public consultation in December 2016 and there has been online feedback regarding the development.

This feedback was then presented to the council’s executive committee, who gave the go-ahead for plans to be developed and a planning application to be submitted.