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The event held at the Ben Brierley gardens outside St Dunstan's Church was organised by the Groundwork Trust environmental group to seek people's views on shaping the future.

Visitors were encouraged to complete consultation questionnaires putting forward their ideas for the Ben Brierley Gardens, the Peace Garden and landmark buildings including the Simpson Memorial Hall.

The ideas will be drawn together and it is hoped some can be included in the Groundwork Trust plans that include new planting, decorative railings and benches.

Ambitious suggestions for the Ben Brierley gardens have already been mooted that include a fountain and continental-style plaza complete with caf? bars as reported on northmanchester.net last week.

A gazebo was set up outside the Ben Brierley for four hours to catch Saturday shoppers who also met local councillors who were on hand to discuss some of the problems in the area.

Lightbowne councillor Bill Risby was delighted by the turn out and hoped to see improvements made shortly.

He said: "The consultation was helped by glorious sunshine. It was a wonderful success. People are very pleased with the kind of things being proposed.

"There is ?150,000 of European money being spent on improving Moston Lane and a lot can be done with that."

Among the ideas suggested so far are proposals to bring back the Ben Brierley statue that is currently in Queens Park and introduce floodlighting to the Simpson Memorial Hall and St Dunstan's church.

Cllr Risby added: "It would be great to have similar improvements to those on Kenyon Lane carried out on Moston Lane shops to make the frontages more attractive.

"This money isn't available for that sort of thing but hopefully that will be something for the future."