Application in for MMU science campus

Manchester Metropolitan University has submitted plans for its £45m science and engineering campus off Chester Street.

The application details plans to demolish the existing John Dalton West building and erect a seven-storey, 160,000 sq ft academic building for the faculty of science and engineering.

Laboratories, including a 200-student ‘super-lab’, and seminar rooms will be located to the south of the building with offices and communal areas to the north.

John Dalton tower will be refurbished and reorganised as part of the plans and will connect to the building on the east side.

Subject to approval, the university will move the existing uses within the John Dalton West building in spring 2020. The demolition of the building itself is expected to commence towards the end of this year or start of 2021, with construction of the new campus set to begin the following spring. Completion is projected for 2023.

Professor Andrew Gibson, pro-vice-chancellor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “The new building represents our ambition as a faculty and will help us to drive new scientific discovery that will benefit our students, the region and the economy.

Anna Relph, associate director at Turley, which is providing planning and strategic communications services for the project, said: “This is a fantastic project which we’re delighted to be part of.

“The new building will facilitate the continued growth of the faculty by providing additional state-of-the-art facilities and enhancing the efficiency of the retained estate. It will also create a new ‘gateway’ to the campus through the redevelopment of an underutilised site adjacent to the Mancunian Way.”

A decision on planning is expected by 20 March 2020 according to a spokesperson from the university.

BDP is the architect and Curtins is consulting on the project.