Council to adopt revised Noma framework
Noma, the 20-acre mixed-use neighbourhood north of Manchester city centre, has been earmarked for future development in a revised strategy to be approved by councillors this week.
An updated strategic regeneration framework for Noma, will be considered at Manchester City Council’s executive committee meeting on Friday.
The overarching principles of the framework “remain unaltered”, according to a report to the committee ahead of the meeting. However, the framework details the next phases of the Noma masterplan, including the delivery of a further 620,000 sq ft of office space, and seeks to build on progress made to date.
The site, bounded by Corporation Street, Angel Street and Angel Meadows, had previously housed a warehouse and office block.
It has been masterplanned to provide 2.5m sq ft of new-build and renovated office space, together with housing – including Moda Living’s under-construction 36-storey residential scheme Angel Gardens – public realm, retail and leisure.
So far, around 563,000 sq ft of office space is either build or in construction, including the refurbishment of the Dutch modernist-style Redfern building, Hanover House, where Amazon has opened its first UK headquarters outside of London, the Dantzic building, and a new square at Sadler’s Yard.
The updated framework states: “The focus of the next phases of the masterplan will be delivering the remaining development plots and addressing connectivity and integration of underutilised sites.”
In particular, three plots named H,K and Q are earmarked to provide an additional 620,000 sq ft of office space to meet future demand.
Meanwhile, “ensuring strong connections” between Noma and surrounding development areas that have been planned and built since the Noma masterplan was first produced, “will be fundamental [to drive] the future growth and development of Manchester”, the report states.
Such areas include the Green Quarter, New Cross and Ancoats, and, crucially, the 370-acre Northern Gateway development zone, north of Manchester city centre, between Victoria Station and Noma, and the Northern Quarter in the south-west.
The framework also updates ownership details for the city centre development site, which is being delivered by Federated Hermes, an entity of asset manager Hermes Investment Management.
Hermes was originally delivering Noma in a joint venture with the Co-operative Group. However, the asset manager acquired the Co-operative Group’s stake in the Noma sites, and the buildings, for an undisclosed sum in 2017.
The development manager for Noma is MEPC, which was acquired by Federated Hermes earlier this year.
Lyons Thompson Letts Property Consultants and Colliers are joint retail and leisure agents for Noma, while JLL and Colliers are the office agents.
Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture is heritage consultant.
The report to Manchester City Council can be found here.
