Manchester set to get 710 homes

Kellen Homes and Great Places Housing’s 498-home Riverpark, the first phase of Bruntwood SciTech’s Sister, and MSV’s 212-home plan for Moss Side were all waved through by the city council. Plans for 1,020 properties at Chorlton Square and Great Ancoats Street will be subject to further scrutiny.

Riverpark Trading Estate, Riverpark Road

An earlier iteration of the scheme proposed 777 homes. Credit: via Dragon Hill Communications

Kellen Homes and Great Places Housing Group’s plan to redevelop a former industrial estate in East Manchester into 498 homes has been unanimously waved through.

Plans show 277 one- and two-bedroom homes would be developed alongside 221 two- and three-storey houses.

Designs were drawn up by AEW Architects and compiled and submitted by Euan Kellie Property Solutions. CW Studio is the landscape architect.

Kellen Homes acquired the 18-acre former abattoir from Realty Estates last year.

A condition to provide 20% of the units to local people was added during the meeting.

Approval follows a previous iteration of the scheme that had hoped to construct 777 homes on the plot, though community feedback forced that project to be scaled back.

Nick Gornall, director of development at Great Places, said: “Significant demolition and enabling works have already taken place on this underutilised brownfield site to prepare the site for the delivery of new homes.

“This project reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering affordable housing and creating thriving communities.

“Working in partnership with Kellen Homes, we’re proud to be playing a part in the regeneration of the area and look forward to seeing the positive impact these new homes will have for local people.”

Cllr Gavin White, executive member for housing and development at MCC, said: “This former industrial site presents a major opportunity for this part of our city to bring significant brownfield land back into active use, creating hundreds of new homes in East Manchester.”

Ian Kelley, chief executive of Kellen Homes, added: “We are fully committed to building homes to meet the needs of local communities and are very pleased to once again partner with Great Places Housing Group in this cornerstone development in East Manchester.”

Use the reference number 142464/FO/2025 on the city council’s planning portal to view the scheme.

Sister plot C

The buildings rise to 12 and 20 storeys. Credit: via Citypress

Bruntwood SciTech, along with architect Allies and Morrison and planning consultant Deloitte, has had its plans for the first phase of Sister unanimously approved.

Sister is the name of the redevelopment of the University of Manchester’s UMIST campus into 585,000 sq ft of office space.

Working in partnership with the university, Bruntwood SciTech plans to demolish existing buildings to make way for two connected blocks rising to 12 and 20 storeys.

Flexible workspace, community and leisure spaces and a new public square for events and activities are also to be delivered.

The plot is located between Altrincham Street and London Road.

SLA, Arcadis, Civic, Tyler Grange, Civic Earth, Buro Happold, Our Studio, Altfire, and Layer Studio make up the project team.

To view the application, use the reference number 143024/FO/2025 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.

Former Reno nightclub, Princess Road

The scheme will be 100% affordable. Credit: via planning docs

MSV’s application to bring 212 affordable homes to the vacant two-acre site off Princess Road and Moss Lane East, in Moss Side, has been approved.

Mosscare St Vincent has worked with architect MCAU and planner Nexus to bring forward the scheme to the city council.

The scheme is set to provide 100 social rent, 28 older person social rent, and 84 Rent-to-Buy homes through a local lettings plan.

Five apartment blocks, with the tallest rising to 10 storeys, will be built. Seven townhouses are also to be developed under the plans.

Cllr Gavin White, executive member for housing and development at Manchester City Council, said: “We know that demand is huge for quality affordable housing in Moss Side, and this scheme will allow people to access the housing ladder affordably.

“This scheme will also bring back into use long-term brownfield land, which is another key priority for the city – to use the land we have at our disposal in a positive way to meet the demand for genuinely affordable housing.”

Charlie Norman, chief executive of MSV Housing Group, added: “[MSV’s] work in the area spans over 60 years, we are very much here for the long-term and take our responsibilities to the people of Moss Side extremely seriously.

“These homes are needed and necessary to not only tackle the housing crisis, but to help alleviate the overcrowding in the area, by providing beautiful, warm, and safe homes.

“I think the extended and thorough consultation we did with local people has paid off, and we have brought together a carefully considered and well-designed scheme incorporating features such as roof gardens.

“I know, having talked to many residents locally, that these homes are much anticipated, so I look forward to seeing the site progress at pace now and welcoming new customers in the future.”

To view the application, use the planning reference number 143777/FO/2025 on the city council’s planning portal.

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Stocktons Furniture site, Great Ancoats Street

The scheme has a GDV of £241m. Credit: via planning documents

Applicant Liquid Funding Business will have to wait another day for permission to build a 50- and 26-storey building on the site of the former furniture store.

City councillors unanimously decided to move a motion to conduct a site visit before any decision is made on the 758-flat project.

Residents of the nearby Oxygen scheme raised concerns that the building would cause a substantial loss of daylight.

SimpsonHaugh has designed the project, which was submitted to the city council by Turley.

Once complete, the development, with a GDV of £241m, would offer 758 apartments and 45,000 sq ft of commercial space across its two blocks.

More than half of the four acres the scheme would stand on is to be reserved for public open space, designed by Re-form Landscape Architecture.

To view the application, use the reference number 142535/FO/2025 on the city council’s planning portal.

Chorlton Square

FCB Studios is the architect for the scheme, as viewed here from Barlow Moor Road. Credit: via Font Comms

PJ Livesey’s application to build its Feilden Clegg Bradley-designed residential scheme has been pushed back, with councillors again opting to move a site visit before discussion can continue.

Councillors suggested that Chorlton’s residents would be happy to wait while the scheme and its local context are discussed further, adding there is “no rush” to build the project.

Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre to be redeveloped into 262 homes under plans submitted to the city council by CBRE.

Would provide 56 one-, 135 two-, and 15 three-bedroom apartments at market rate.

Southway Housing Trust will operate 49 affordable units for social rent for people on the housing register.

Previously, the flats were set to be for shared ownership, before local councillors intervened, requesting social rent apartments instead.

Homes England is expected to provide funding for the affordable segment.

Randall Thorp, Civic Engineers, Futureserv, Artec Fire, Vista Consulting, and LTL Property are all on the project team.

Use the planning reference 142652/FO/2025 on the city council’s planning portal to view the application.