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It lasted only five years but a small patch of green space would end up being a peaceful haven for reflection and a suntrap for the city's office workers.

As fears surrounding nuclear war grew in the 1980s, many UK cities and local authorities declared themselves 'Nuclear Free Zones' starting with Manchester in 1980 . The movement was a protest against the nuclear arms race and advocated for nuclear disarmament.

Cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and councils across Wales, made the symbolic declaration in opposition to the government's plans to stage a National Civil Defence exercise to show its stomach for nuclear war. But the Nuclear Free local governments refused to take part, resulting in no such rehearsal exercise taking place.

Declaring Manchester

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