Mothballed Fallowfield campus transformation to take flight 

The University of Manchester wants to demolish various buildings at the Wilmslow Road site, including a 1960s tower block, and deliver 3,300 student beds under plans set to secure planning consent next week. 

Manchester City Council has recommended the long-awaited redevelopment of the Fallowfield site be approved. 

Designed by, Sheppard Robson, the scheme would see the tower block, Oak House, Owens Park, and Woolton Hall demolished. Together, those buildings provide around 2,370 student beds.

These ageing buildings are to be replaced with 3,300 new student bedspaces – an increase of 300 units compared to a 2015 iteration of the scheme that did not materialise. 

The University of Manchester is also seeking to procure a partner to design, build, finance, and operate the campus, a contract that is worth up to £400m. 

Turley is the planning consultant and the project managers are Rider Levett Bucknall and Midollo. Buro Happold is advising on the environmental impact assessment.     

UoM is seeking a partner for the £400m project. Credit: via University of Manchester

To learn more about the proposals, search for application reference number 138126/OO/2023 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal. 

The redevelopment of the student accommodation complex has been in the works for some time.   

So far, around 1,100 new student beds have been delivered at Unsworth halls on the corner of Gunnery Lane and Chancellors Way – a project finished off by Vinci after former contractor Carillion went bust.   

However, the replacement of existing outdated stock has stalled since the first phase completed in 2019.   

Consent for the BDP-designed redevelopment of the site was granted in 2015.   

At this time, the University of Manchester was working with Abu Dhabi investor Mubadala Development Company. However, in 2016, the parties went their separate ways, prompting a rethink over how the project would proceed.