Mamma Mia! The Party tops the bill for Manchester

The latest part of Manchester City’s £300m Medlock Square entertainment complex is tipped for approval next week, along with a Cornbrook office conversion and an East Manchester mosque.

Manchester City Council’s planning committee meets on 11 June.

Mamma Mia: The Party! (application reference 145358/FO/2026)

Manchester City FC is the applicant on the latest leisure proposal at Eastlands, working with a team including planner Deloitte and architect PRP on a 600-capacity venue.

The team also includes Hoare Lea, Turner & Townsend, Griffiths Evans, Norris Green Design, Calibre Consulting, Planit, Greengage, Arup, GHD, and RS Security.

The plan has been billed as ‘Project Taverna’. Credit: planning documents

As set out in PRP’s design & access statement, the proposal is to use a plot used as a compound for the recent North Stand development, creating a new-build three-storey, permanent “shell and core” building designed as an adaptable home for immersive entertainment experiences.

The plans were originally revealed in March.

Tenants, such as MMTP, will occupy the space for contracted periods, internally theming the interior to create the environment suitable for their specific shows. The client brief aims to initially meet MMTP’s specific needs while baking in future flexibility through a reconfigurable design.

MCC’s officer report outlines how the venue would be sited to the east of the stadium, close to and prominent from Alan Turing Way, a siting described as appropriate in the context.

Cornbrook Enterprise Centre conversion (reference 144151/FO/2025)

This 5,595 sq ft application covers part of a former school, more recently used as offices, with the applicant looking to establish a SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) school, for a maximum of 30 pupils and 20 staff.

The applicant for the Quenby Road proposal is Supreme Start, working with Northedge Architecture.

Three objections have been received from residents, largely relating to parking and congestion in what is a residential area, as well as an objection from ward councillor Cllr Lee Glover, who raises a number of points, including queries on demonstrated need, and an over-reliance on internal space for physical activity.

Comments have also been received from a local business.

Winterford Road mosque (reference 141545/FO/2024)

Also in line for approval are plans designed by Seed Architects for the demolition of a mosque and its replacement at Winterton Road, close to where Gorton meets Reddish.

In building a new part two- and part three-storey place of worship and education centre, Al Sunnah Mosque wants to increase its footprint to 13,600 sq ft, which would be an increase of around 7,000 sq ft on the current 1970s-built one- and two-storey structure.

Facilities would include, at ground floor level, a prayer room, two classrooms, Iman’s office and associated washing and toilet facilities; with a further prayer room, meeting room and associated washing and toilet facilities at first floor level. The second-floor element would accommodate three further classrooms, a multi-functional space, an IT room, office and toilets.

Seed Architects has designed the scheme. Credit: planning documents