Manchester approves 1 Piccadilly, NQ Building mods
Legal & General has secured a green light for its plans to construct a rooftop pavilion and new entrance to its city centre office block, while Renaker Build is lined up to convert two vacant offices into restaurants in Ancoats. Also securing the favour of councillors were plans to convert a tricky-to-use football pitch into padel courts, tennis courts, and more in Wythenshawe.
Manchester City Council met on Thursday to debate, and ultimately vote to approve, the applications. You can learn more about each project below.
1 Piccadilly Gardens
- Application reference: 144522/FO/2025
DLG Architects drew up the proposals to add 11,200 sq ft of amenity to the 114,000 sq ft office block owned by Legal & General.
The extra space comes via a new 2,600 sq ft entrance from Piccadilly Gardens and a 8,600 sq ft roof terrace with 3,500 sq ft of internal space.
The new entrance will eliminate the current cut through between the gardens and Portland Street. However, this covered walkway has been a source of anti-social behaviour and protests in the past.
The approved designs also include provision for solar panels to be added.
In addition to DLG, the project team includes EKHO Studio, Savills, Waterman Structures, Hoare Lea, and Colliers.
Units 1 and 3 at NQ Building, 43-45 and 49 Bengal Street
- Application reference: 145564/FO/2026
NQ Building owner Lowry Investments (NW), which shares the same directors as Renaker Build, has secured permission to convert long vacant offices into flexible commercial uses – likely to be restaurants, wine bars, or a pub.
Unit 1 and 3 on the groundfloor of NQ Building have been empty for more than a decade. The hope is that by converting Unit 1 into two smaller self contained units and repurposing Unit 3, the narrative can change at last and they can find a tenant.
The project team includes Deloitte, FutureServ, and Fisher Acoustics.
Wythenshawe Town FC, Timpson Road
- Application reference: 141898/FO/2025
Wythenshawe Town FC has put its full support behind the plans from Padel & Pickle. City councillors voted that they were minded to approve the project.
The project in question would see an existing grass football pitch converted into a smaller 3G artificial pitch suitable for seven-a-side matches. The current pitch is not used by the football club as it has issues around drainage.
Padel & Pickle’s plans also call for adding two multi-use courts for tennis, pickleball, or netball to the west of the site, while the southern end would have six doubles padel courts. Three of these padel courts would be covered.
The proposals, submitted by McDonald Wilkinson Tonge, also include five shipping containers that could serve as a café, viewing terrace, storage facilities, and changing area.
Parking would be provided for 35 cars and secure cycle storage for six bicycles.
Sports England had objected to the proposals, due to the loss of a grass pitch. Howeve,r as part of the proposed S106 agreement, money towards a replacement grass pitch would be provided.
The project team includes LMP, BEK, GSA, Stantec, Yew Tree Gardens, Envirotech, and E3P.
