Manchester planning agenda dominated by homes
Manchester City Council is set to approve three residential-led projects across the city at its first planning committee of 2016, including the first phase of development at the former BBC Oxford Road site.
Rebranded Circle Square by Bruntwood and Select Property Group at the end of last year, a £750m redevelopment of the six-acre plot is to be delivered over the next decade.
The first planning application for the site will be considered by the council’s planning committee on Thursday 7 January, for two serviced apartment buildings totaling 600 flats, delivered under Select’s Vita student brand.
The 12-storey and 15-storey blocks will include a 6,500 business incubator unit and will be surrounded by public realm space.
At Whitworth Street and Princess Street, Urban & Civic has applied for planning permission for two residential buildings at 12-storeys and 15-storeys high, totaling 238 flats, alongside a hotel with ground floor commercial uses, a restaurant and café, and public realm.
The plans are for the one-acre former Origin site which was acquired by Urban & Civic in 2014, part of a portfolio previously owned by developer Donal Mulryan’s company West Properties.
The site had planning permission for a scheme designed by Ian Simpson, now SimpsonHaugh & Partners. SimpsonHaugh has reworked the plans for Urban & Civic.
In Hulme, the council is due to approve the development of 105 homes on Leaf Street by housing association One Manchester. Designed by Mecanoo, this is the first new-build scheme proposed by One Manchester since the organisation formed in 2014 from the merger of Eastlands Homes and City South Manchester Housing Trust.
One Manchester is a housing provider responsible for managing more than 12,500 homes across south and east Manchester.
All revenues earned from the new homes will be reinvested back into community development programmes.
Bruntwood and Select, and Urban & Civic, were both advised by Deloitte Real Estate on planning. One Manchester was advised by Peter Brett Associates.
This will damage business in the likes of Fallowfield and Rusholme, stopping students intigrating and encouraging only temporary stays in Manchester. Plus the devlopment is about 150 feet too tall. There is no onsite renewable power generation or water recycling. There is too much provision for car parking.
By Jack Evison
Broadly agree with the above comment here – bit too much PRS going on, if Manchester wants to become an attractive city to settle.
By Uni
How can there be too much PRS for people to settle? More people living in the centre makes it more vibrant and a better place to live. People can settle in the burbs if they wish. We need to encourage more students into the centre and away from Fallowfield. Also the development is not too tall, this is Manchester not Chester and parking is very much needed.
By Deano
Students have turned areas in South Manchester which could be nice family areas into litter strewn ghettoes.Victoria Park should be the Kensington of Manchester but is just a rundown tip with overflowing bins.Perhaps moving them to the centre will revitalise these once grand areas.
By Elephant
Elephant hits the nail on the head again. When I was at University most students that were not local, thought the whole of M/cr began in Didsbury Withington & Fallowfield and ended at the top of Oxford Rd. There was an almost conscious lack of wanting to integrate, fuelled by a glut of cheap takeaways, ‘opportunistic’ landlords, rattletrap de regulated bus services etc etc all willing to re- enforce this ghetto along and just off the A6 corridor. I’m all for a critical mass of student life and the benefits it can bring, but it has indeed swung way too far a long time ago in to a messy sprawl. An informed planning supported solution that encourages integration should be welcomed; I’m not saying this is it, but in the general thrust of things, it’s surely the right direction.
By Cassandra