Alliance eyes safe passage for Manchester office 

Part of the booming St Mary’s Parsonage regeneration zone, Property Alliance Group’s 14-storey, new-build workspace has been tipped for approval by the city council. 

Located on the corner of King Street West and St Mary’s Parsonage in Manchester city centre, the £55m scheme will see Reedham House demolished to make way for 52,000 sq ft of net new-build office space.  

As well as the new-build element, the proposals also include the heritage-led renovation of a historic carriage works into a modern workspace. 

There is some contention around plans to demolish the grade two-listed Reedham House at 31-33 King Street West. 

The scheme’s architect, Jon Matthews, claims that, while listed, the building offers “very little heritage value”. 

However, statutory consultee Historic England has objected to the plans amid concerns about the loss of the building. The organisation said the loss of Reedham House would have a “pronounced effect” on the neighbouring carriage works. 

Manchester City Council’s planning team accepts the demolition of Reedham House would result in “a high level of less than significant harm” to the wider complex. 

However, an officer report states: “The building that would be lost, although part of the original complex, has been altered significantly and its loss would allow the restoration and reuse of the retained buildings of the complex.” 

The authority concludes that the benefits of the project would outweigh the harm caused by the loss of the listed building.  

These benefits include £38.6m of gross value added every year and employment space that could support around 400 jobs, according to the city council. 

As well as the office space, Alliance’s plans also feature a collonaded ground floor with retail units, which aims to enhance and activate the adjoining motor square.  

The new-build office element is also set further back than the existing Reedham House, thus expanding the adjoining Motor Square.  

Euan Kellie Property Solutions is the planning consultant and Planit-IE is the landscape architect.    

The Reedham House redevelopment is situated at the heart of an area undergoing extensive regeneration.  

Other emerging schemes within spitting distance include  

• Bruntwood’s 100,000 sq ft Alberton House   
• Investec’s 564,000 sq ft Kendall Milne building conversion  
• Oval Real Estate’s mixed-use redevelopment of Albert Bridge House   

To learn more about Property Alliance Group’s plans, search for application reference numbers 135028/FO/2022 and 135029/LO/2022 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.