Manchester tower trio beats Christmas cut-off

IQ Student Accommodation has submitted plans for 2,500 student beds in a series of tall buildings at its Weston Hall and Pendulum Hotel site on Charles Street ahead of the festive break.

A 50-storey skyscraper would be delivered in phase one alongside an 18-storey building and a nine-storey link element. Phase two would see the 32- and 24-storey towers come forward.

The development, to be constructed on a 1.8-acres plot, is aimed at addressing a “significant ongoing shortfall in PBSA provision in Manchester”, according to planning documents.

Designed by Manchester-tower experts SimpsonHaugh Architects, the scheme would see the number of beds on site increase significantly.

There are 528 student beds and 120 hotel rooms at IQ’s Charles Street site at present. These would be demolished to make way for the towers.

IQ first trailed the plans for its Charles Street site in 2020 when it consulted on a development framework encompassing its Manchester holdings.

The framework set out plans for both Echo Street – a 1,200-unit scheme currently on site – as well as the Weston Halls and Pendulum Hotel site.

A vision for a 55-storey tower on the corner of London Road and Granby Row also featured in IQ’s 2020 thinking.

IQ’s Charles Street development is located next door to another high-density student proposal: RG Real Estate’s eight-, 10-, and 38-storey scheme within Sister.

Plans for the Charles Street project are being worked up alongside planner Turley as well as Civic, GIA, Futureserv, SLR, Project Four, Wintec, OFR, Planit, and Cumming Group.

To learn more, search for reference number 144791/FO/2025 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.