Homes planned for Central Retail Park

Manchester City Council is set to consider a draft development framework for the Central Retail Park in Great Ancoats Street at its executive meeting next week.

Acting on behalf TH Real Estate and working in conjunction with the council, Turley’s Manchester planning and urban design team has prepared a framework which proposes a mixed-use regeneration scheme, which will deliver new homes alongside a consolidated and improved retail offer.

If approved by the executive on Wednesday 7 October, the framework will be put out to public consultation in the autumn.

The framework proposes:

• A consolidated retail park in the North West of the site, comprising retained and refurbished units, new retail unit, and reconfigured parking and servicing arrangements
• A residential apartment development on the rest of the site, with complementary ground floor uses
• A dedicated pedestrian route through the site to improve connectivity between Great Ancoats Street and Cotton Field Park/New Islington Marina
• Enhanced public realm and landscaping

TH Real Estate was granted planning permission in 2013 for a £40m scheme which included a 90,000 sq ft supermarket, cinema and smaller retail units with undercroft parking. Work on the project never began.

Katherine Friend, head of asset management retail warehousing at TH Real Estate, said: “The site continues to represent an important retail destination and TH Real Estate remains committed to bringing the retail park up to modern standards to ensure it is reflective of its prominent location. However, the changing context within which the site lies provides a driver to introduce high quality residential development on the balance of the site.”

Central Retail Park is owned by Henderson UK Retail Warehouse Fund, managed by TH Real Estate. TH Real Estate is an established investment company and one of the largest real estate managers in the world.