Manchester rejects £5.7m Blackley apartments plan

Concerns around resident safety, a loss of privacy for those living nearby, and a lack of green space put paid to plans for 42 flats next to Blackley Conservative Club off Old Market Street.

Manchester City Council has refused an application lodged in February by Javed Aslam, Arshad Mahmood, and Tahir Mahmood because, among other reasons, it would be “detrimental to visual amenity and the general character of the area” due to lack of amenity.

Designed by Saleem Architects, the £5.7m Blackley scheme proposed two four-storey apartment blocks and a mix of 17 one-bed and 25 two-bed flats is planned.

Manchester City Council determined the application under delegated powers.

The decision notice confirming the refusal of the plans highlighted three reasons for the rejection of the scheme.

Two of the reasons relate to the layout of the scheme. Manchester’s planning team said that the layout is “unacceptable” as it would result in nearby residents being overlooked and that the proposed access – through the existing Con Club car park – prejudiced resident safety.

The third reason given was in relation to the setting of the buildings. “The lack of a setting to the development caused by an imbalance between hard standing, car parking, and green space would create a negative and visually harmful feature, detrimental to visual amenity and the general character of the area”, the decision notice states.

Over the last two decades various proposals to redevelop the site have been submitted an approved.

The most recent of these dates back to 2013 when a Mr S Munshi secured consent for nine four-bedroom houses.

According to a viability appraisal submitted with the application, the scheme has a GDV of £5.77m and would cost £5.4m to build.

The project team includes SCP, Enviro Solution, Collington Winter Environmental, GEA, and S106 Management.

To view the application, use the reference number 140485/OO/2024 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.