Curlew scales back contentious Hulme scheme
Following refusal of its plans for a 13-storey student development in May, the developer has reduced the building’s height and the number of bedrooms.
Curlew’s proposed redevelopment of the former Gamecock Pub off Boundary Lane in Hulme met with objection from members of the local community and Manchester MP Lucy Powell.
Block the Block, a campaign to stop the project was launched amid claims from residents that Manchester doesn’t need more student accommodation and that the development would block sunlight to their gardens.
Despite being recommended for approval by officers, Manchester City Council’s planning committee rejected the scheme, saying the “scale of the development relative to the size of the site which would be detrimental to the area visually”.
Now, Curlew has tweaked its plans by knocking two floors off the tallest block of the two-building scheme and decreasing the number of bedrooms to 197.
At 11 storeys, the project’s height is now the same as that of a previously approved scheme on the same site.
That development, brought forward by Zeagham Ahmad Property Barrowford, was approved at appeal in 2008 but never materialised.
SimpsonHaugh is the architect for Curlew’s scheme and Turley is the planning consultant.
The application’s reference number is 130387/FO/2021.
For our inner city to mature properly, we need schemes like this to be approved. It’s in a sustainable location.
By Good Density
Haha these people have no clue, “Manchester doesn’t need more student accommodation”, yeah ok, so that’s why the Universities are currently having to offer students accommodation as far away as Liverpool.
By Bob
Shouldn’t ”At 11 storeys, the project’s height is now the same as that of a previously approved scheme on the same site” read as 9 storeys, with the 2 floor reduction?
By Steve
Apologies, Steve. The refused scheme was 13 storeys. It has been reduced to 11, the same as a previously approved scheme on the same site. We have fixed the story. Best – Julia
By Julia Hatmaker
Well that’ll be 63 less students who could contribute to the local economy, what a shame! Or to put it another way, assuming 4 to a house, 16 houses that could be used by families but will now be used as student housing instead.
By MC
They need to spread student developments, this area becomes a dead zone during the student holidays
By Anonymous
Actually I think they should turn Hulme into a student town (within reason) and create an interesting community with radical designs. It’s going that way anyway.
By Anonymous
As someone who did live in Hulme for many years it’s not that Manchester doesn’t need more student accommodation which it clearly does, it’s that there is enough in Hulme already.
By Manc man
Manchester has the worst student areas, especially since Fallowfield declined. Going to Leeds and Newcastle is a far better experience.
By Cal
Students do go to Leeds and Newcastle Cal but Manchester is one of the very biggest draws because of what Manchester has to offer in addition to its two world class unlversaties.
By Itetrue
Fallowfield has most certainly not declined for students and is in any case one of numerous student areas in and around the city including parts of the city centre. Your comments might be treated a little more seriously if they weren’t so consistently biased against somewhere you regularly comment on but seem to know so little about.
By Don
Don, you obviously have never been to Headingley, Hyde Park or Jesmond, Fallowfield has lost Revs, Orange Grove, XS, Robinskis, Glass and many others, Hulme has nothing at all to do
By Cal
Font and Trof too
By Cal
This monstrosity is not what this area needs. Our community is smothered with high rise blocks that do absolutely nothing for the residents. We need low rise housing for the old and infirm, who wish to remain amongst their friends and families. We are student friendly, but enough is enough.We did not ask for this building, and we certainly do not want it.Another profit making prison cell sized block to herd 194 young people into, thus creating more mental health problems for the NHS to pick up and deal with.
By Sally casey
Plenty people are commenting here who haven’t had any experience of living in this or similar areas. I did and the problems from noise starting each night at 10pm, doors slamming constantly and shouting and constant gatherings and smoking in the street was a blight for residents. It was impossible to sleep and the numbers overwhelmed the local shops and services, this is what lead to protests. People have this idea that student flats exist in a vacuum away from ‘normal’ houses. They don’t – but they are built in increasing numbers around social tenants who don’t usually have the opportunity to choose somewhere else to live. I’m so glad I escaped but I feel incredibly sorry for the residents left and no it doesn’t turn into a ‘dead zone’ in holidays, as many students these day stay on all year round.
By Mazoo