McLaren’s revised £70m student project approved

St Gabriel’s Lodge was deferred by Manchester City Council last month but revised plans with two extra parking spaces were approved yesterday, along with a West Didsbury retirement home. Lidl did not have the same success for its plans in Chorlton.

St Gabriel’s Lodge

McLaren’s £70m redevelopment of the historic chapel off Oxford Road in the university district, will deliver 319 student beds in a mix of studios and five- to eight-bed apartments.

Known by students as Gabs, the lodge was formerly a female-only halls of residence and will be reinstated as student accommodation following completion.

Architect Simpson Haugh designed the project, which will retain and redevelop St Gabriel’s Lodge and Woodthorpe Hall. The modern extension will be demolished, allowing for four- and five-storey blocks to be built on either side of the building.

David Atherton, development director at McLaren Property said the scheme “has the hallmarks of an award-winning development that puts the restoration of heritage assets at the heart of the proposals.”

Manchester’s planning committee deferred the application last month, when members were minded to refuse the proposals, voicing concerns about the lack of disabled parking spaces.

The revised proposals will provide four disabled parking spaces, instead of the original two planned.

Nearby, on Upper Brook Street, McClaren is plotting a major mixed-use scheme, which could feature a 600-bed student development and a life sciences facility to be operated by Kadans.

To find out more about the plans, search for application number 135278/FO/2022 on the council’s website.

Chorlton Lidl

The supermarket will have a 14,000 sq ft sales area. Credit: via Lidl

Space Architects designed the 22,000 sq ft supermarket on the junction of Mauldeth Road West and Nell Lane.

The store will have a 14,000 sq ft internal sales area with an in-store bakery and customer toilets. There will be 88 car parking spaces.

Lidl acquired the land in Chorlton from PJD Holdings for £4m last year. The site is currently occupied by the 27,000 sq ft Lowry House office building.

Issues were raised at yesterday’s planning meeting regarding the impact of the scheme on pedestrian safety due to its closeness to Chorlton High School, despite Highways Services raising no concerns after assessment.

The application has been deferred, with councillors minded to refuse the project.

The application’s reference number is 135647/FO/2022.

West Didsbury retirement home

McCarthy Stone’s revised plans see the height of the home reduced by two metres. Credit: via planning documents

Senior living developer McCarthy Stone will build a 26-apartment complex on the corner of Spath Road and Lancaster Road.

The proposals designed by MCK Commercial Design will see the demolition of a five-bedroom detached home to make way for the development.

The application for the retirement home was deferred last month when the committee was minded to refuse the plans, due to concerns about the scale of the building and lack of on-site parking.

The revised plans see the height of the three-storey home reduced by two metres and the number of parking spaces increased from 20 to 26.

The application’s reference number is 134946/FO/2022.