Manchester rubber-stamps pair of 56-storey skyscrapers after three-year delay
Great Jackson Street Estates, controlled by investor Aubrey Weis, can go ahead with its 1,000-apartment Park Place scheme after the developer and the city council signed a Section 106 agreement.
Manchester City Council’s planning committee approved the pair of 56-storey towers in July 2021 but the scheme has not started on site due to a dispute about the project’s deliverability.
The authority, which owns the freehold, offered GJSE a 250-year lease on the site but the developer rejected it.
The two parties went to tribunal in 2023 with GJSE attempting to remove restrictive covenants in the existing lease with the city council. The city council prevailed.
With a decision notice handed down and a Section 106 notice signed, it appears that the two parties have reached an accord that will see the site come forward.
Both the city council and the developer were contacted for comment.
Under the terms of the decision, GJSE has three years from now to make a start on the Hodder + Partners designed project.
The Weis group and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority are currently locked in a dispute about loans awarded to developer Renaker, which has developed several towers with the help of combined authority loans close to the Park Place site.
Weis claims the loans have “distorted” the city’s property market, the GMCA refutes this claim.
Manchester demonstrates its commitment to further developing the city with the approval of these two towers. Bringing more jobs and prosperity to the city. While the City of Liverpool continues with its scorched earth policy. Well done Manchester. I only wish my city had half the vision you posses. Keep up the good work Liverpool in sending developers, jobs and future prosperity 34 miles down the East Lancs.
By Steve Hart
Alot of great stuff in manc over the years but these don’t look the greatest to be honest.
By Anonymous
Whilst being a little on the generic side (and all the towers in this area being too similar in height) I will be glad of more buildings which break up the wall of solid glass, along with offering some clean lines and a little colour (which is in keeping with the likes of Fusion and River St).
By Anonymous
Manchester continues to show how ridiculous the comply or justify position by LCC is. Not every development will be loved by everyone, but the difference is development and further investment, job creation and more homes instead of derelict industrial units.
By GetItBuilt!
At least it isn’t more glass in this area, that alone is a plus!
By Anonymous
The Council prevailed. is that technically correct where this is going to the appeals court in the early part of 2025?
By Weis
Watch and weep
By Anonymous
Manchester continues onwards and upwards – great to see tho move forward.
By Stu
Considering this project will need to negotiate the Building Safety gateway process I don’t think the 3 years start on site agreement is long enough.
By Anonymous
is there any affordable accommodation in this development? If not, why not as I am sure there is a considerable waiting list for such a service.
By Anonymous
I don’t mind the very tall ones, especially when they are zoned correctly and a linked to the street properly within an albeit slowly developing neighbourhood. It’s the 10- 20 story dross that sometimes appears incongruous on a street corner somewhere and are often quite ugly.
By Anonymous
This will break up the glass as suggested. Providing the materials are high quality, this could turn out to be a God send for Manchester’s skyscraper quarter.
By Anonymous
Could not agree more @ Steve Hart, I moved abroad 6 years ago and since I did barely anything has changed back in Liverpool it is a sorry sight when you compare to the progress Manchester has and continues to make. LCC should be ashamed of their managed decline of our City.
By Anonymous
Too Tall. Look like Cigarettes. Mediocre designs but with Hodder and Simpson what’s new under the Sun?
By John
Sure I remember reading something about a major sewer pipe running below the location would have to be relocated beforehand …
By MrP
Place North West at it again backing anything to do with building and building and building.Absolute Philistines.
By Michael Gaskell
Place Northwest backing anything to do with building, building building’. Also …’arrrggggg ! ‘The Matrix is a strange place sometimes!
By Bob The
@Michael Gaskell. Reporting news isn’t backing anything it’s just reporting. If you hate it so much read something else.
By H
Manchester city centre is fast becoming a cosmopolitan capitol City skyline and the announcement of two more towers reaching for the sky is creating more local jobs, well done to all the investors and Manchester city council sealing the deal, Merry Christmas Manchester 🌲
By Gary Evans Mancunian 🇬🇧
Place North West backing building and building??. In other news… grass is also green.
By Anonymous