Kampus framework approved

Manchester City Council has formally adopted the regeneration framework for Capital & Centric and Henry Boot Developments’ £150m Kampus scheme at Aytoun Street in the city centre.

A meeting of the council’s executive on Wednesday 3 June formally endorsed the principles within the framework, which will be used to guide the approval of future planning applications on the 2.3-acre site.

The plan focuses on a mix of uses, including residential, restaurants, hotels and aparthotels, along with workspace and ground floor retail activity to tie-in with the nearby Village.

Capital & Centric and Henry Boot were selected as the preferred purchaser of Manchester Metropolitan University’s former Aytoun Street site in March 2014. The plot currently has 250,000 sq ft of vacant space across seven university buildings, and the final scheme is expected to total 450,000 sq ft, providing up to 500 private rented sector homes and two hotels.

According to the regeneration framework, the listed Minto & Turner and Minshull warehouses are earmarked as suitable for independent uses such as workspace, gallery space, and restaurants. Little David Street, which runs between the two buildings and is currently closed to the public, will be restored and reopened as a centre for artisan cafes and bars.

The current library building is expected to be converted into offices, and the 1960s tower building used to house the hotel and apartments. The former lecture building will be demolished to make way for a public realm space.