Autumn start for PJ Livesey Didsbury site

PJ Livesey Group has set an autumn start date for the £26m development of 93 homes at the former Manchester Metropolitan University campus in Didsbury.

Manchester City Council approved the plans for the 17-acre site at the end of last month.

PJ Livesey is both developer and contractor.

The project will see the conversion of the Administration Building and the Chapel into a mix of houses and apartments, alongside the development of 42 three-, four- and five-bedroom family homes in the grounds and seven apartments in a new-build block.

The £26m project is expected to provide 350 construction jobs with a commitment to employing local labour.

The application also provides for a new primary school delivering 420 school places on the opposite side of Wilmslow Road.

In total there will be 44 conversion properties and 49 new build.

PJ Livesey said buyer interest in the site is already intense but the first properties will not be released for sale until next year.

Peter Livesey, managing director of PJ Livesey, said: “It is our belief that we should only commence sales when people can see what they are actually buying and the quality of the homes we build.

“We will be using the existing lodge building on Wilmslow Road as an information centre so people can understand the site and what is being created.

“Our intention is to start work as soon as possible and we will have to hoard the site for safety and security as we commence demolition of the more recent buildings but intend to be as sensitive as possible given the village location.”

The PJ Livesey Group was advised by HOW Planning, Calderpeel Architects, Ryder Landscaping and law firm Slater Heelis.