Manchester’s This City off the mark with Ancoats approval 

A 128-home development on Rodney Street is the first to be delivered by Manchester City Council’s newly formed housing delivery vehicle. Also approved at the planning committee meeting were plans for a 100% affordable scheme in Chorlton.

Rodney Street

The city council’s planning committee approved the £30m Ancoats scheme, designed by Buttress Architects, paving the way for the creation of 118 apartments across two buildings, as well as 10 townhouses. 

A total of 30% of the homes will be available at the Manchester Living Rent, which is capped at the government’s Local Housing Allowance rate and therefore affordable to residents on housing benefit. 

The remainder of the homes will be available at market rent. 

“Rodney Street…is the beginning of the next phase of the Ancoats regeneration story, bringing a brownfield site back into use while delivering much-needed new housing in our city centre,” said Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.   

“This development will also be complemented by the wider investment in public realm that will celebrate Ancoats Green as the heart of the neighbourhood helping to deliver a highly sustainable and low carbon community.”  

30% of the homes will be available at the Manchester Living Rent. Credit: via planning documents

The city council has approved £32m to be spent on the wider Ancoats public realm, which includes the green. 

Rodney Street, to be built by Wates Construction, is the first This City project and plans for a second are in the works. 

Place North West revealed that a 100-apartment development on Postal Street was being drawn up by Hawkins\Brown.  

“Our intention is to scale up [This City] development to at least 500 homes per year,” said Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of the Manchester City Council. 

“At least 20% of these will be made available at the Manchester Living Rent – delivering high quality, affordable housing for families on lower incomes.” 

To find out more about this project search Manchester City Council’s planning portal using reference number 134154/VO/2022.

All of the homes would be available for shared ownership. Credit: via planning documents

Chorlton Irish Club apartments

At the same meeting, the planning committee also approved plans for the redevelopment of Chorlton Irish Club’s car park by Southway Housing Trust. 

Southway has been given permission to build 29 apartments on the club’s car park, all of which would be available for shared ownership.  

The housing association is working with architect View Associates and planner Iceni Projects to progress the residential scheme.  

Southway acquired the site following a lengthy and often bitter sales process that pitted the Irish club’s trustees against its members.  

In 2020, club trustees instructed Colliers to market the site for sale. The High Lane plot was advertised as a “prime redevelopment opportunity”.  

Throughout the sales process, the campaign group Friends of Chorlton Irish Club complained of being kept in the dark by the trustees and voiced their concerns about the future of the venue.   

At one point during the sales process, Friends of Chorlton Irish Club agreed a deal with Hillcrest Homes that would see the developer purchase the site to build houses, while retaining the club as part of the project.   

While that deal never materialised, Southway’s acquisition proposed similar terms, including the retention of the Irish club.  

To find out more about this project search Manchester City Council’s planning portal using reference number 132708/FO/2022.