Curlew presses on with Hulme flats
The London real estate group’s development arm has lodged plans with Manchester City Council for a 261-bedroom student accommodation block amid push back from local residents.
Under the plans, Curlew Opportunities wants to demolish the vacant Gamecock pub on Boundary Lane, south of Manchester city centre.
In its place, a 13-storey scheme designed by SimpsonHaugh would be built.
The development is to feature a community hub that could be used by residents of the wider Hulme community, according to the developer.
The Gamecock Community Hub would front Booth Street West and Boundary Lane and feature a gym as well as space for meetings, exercise classes, and community activities.
Curlew’s plans are in line with Manchester City Council’s desire to see more purpose-built student accommodation developed in the city centre in order to attract students out of private rented sector housing and boost council tax revenues.
Students are exempt from paying council tax, meaning that the council is losing out on contributions as a result of students choosing to live in private rented accommodation instead of purpose-built student housing.
However, the prospect of Curlew’s development has angered some residents in neighbouring residential blocks Cooper House and Hopton Court.
A campaign to stop the project has been launched amid claims from residents that Manchester doesn’t need more student accommodation and that the development would block sunlight to their gardens.
“This is one of the last undeveloped pieces of land in Hulme. We have lots of ideas for other possible uses for the site that would be positive for the local community and would avoid loss of sun and heat from our flats and our gardens,” the Block the Block campaign said.
The group is planning to lodge a formal objection to the plans.
Turley is the planning consultant for the project and Jumani Holdings is assisting with the ongoing development management of the scheme.
You have to wonder how affordable all this purpose built accommodation is, Students being treated like cash cows while being pushed out of areas like Fallowfield. The article does make an interesting point about council tax which seems to be the driving factor.
By Jon P
They lost their argument as soon as they state “Manchester doesn’t need more student accommodation”. Manchester has one of the largest student populations in the country and the current student accommodation for UoM is outdated and not fit for the 21st century. Get it built.
By New Wave