Livesey starts work in Didsbury

PJ Livesey Group has begun work at 825 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, where it is combining the conversion of listed buildings and former offices with new build to create 85 homes.

The Trafford Park-based developer consulted on the project in February 2018 and secured planning permission later in the year. The group said that the first homes will be ready for occupation by the autumn.

Director James Woodmansee said: “This is an opportunity to take a site with various buildings both listed and non-listed, some used and some no longer fit for purpose and create a place that will once again be truly part of the community.

“It follows on from our redevelopment of the former MMU site and previous to that Needham Hall and Didsbury Gate, and we feel privileged to once again have an opportunity to provide high quality homes of character in an area we know so well.”

The 4.3-acre site contains various buildings previously used as offices by occupiers including Southway Housing Trust.  The Cedars, a grade two-listed Victorian villa, will be converted to apartments. The original lodge will be restored to a single dwelling, with the site’s gatehouse becoming two properties.

Parklands, a modern office building, will be retained and converted to provide 39 apartments, while a second office building, Aspen House, will be demolished to make way for 22 new build houses.

Demolition of Aspen House is already underway with sales starting off-plan in the spring. The Greater Manchester Pension Fund is providing development funding.

Cllr Brenda Warrington, chairman of GMPF, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside such a well respected developer and look forward to seeing the transformation of the site and in particular, the conversion of the listed buildings into innovative and sought-after homes.

“I’m proud the Greater Manchester Pension Fund is willing to invest in the construction of much-needed housing whilst securing a good return for our members’ pensions. We’re excited by the pipeline of potential investments and we look forward to working on more opportunities to achieve our twin aims of significant investment returns to pay our pensions promises, whilst delivering homes, infrastructure and jobs for Greater Manchester.”

Projects currently on site for PJ Livesey include Green Walk, part of the Didsbury Technology Park at the Siemens campus on Princess Road, and housing at Alderley Park.

PJ Livesey was advised by Slater Heelis Law with planning advice from GVA How.

Your Comments

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No doubt there will also be plentiful “affordable “ houses included in this “exciting project “

By MO’H

Hope they have more respect for Didsbury residents on this site than they have at the MMU site

By Paul Faux

Will there be some affordable housing

By Jay

Unlikely Paul Faux. The PR reads like they do but in reality they don’t care one bit about local residents. They are just an inconvenience to their goal of making money.

By Didsbury resident.

NOT the place for Affordable housing, this is a nice area for hard working people. Put AH where people otherwise wouldn’t want to live, fair is fair.

By JN

Yeah Didsbury isn’t really the type of place you find people drinking Strongbow on their front step – let’s keep the affordable housing in other areas

By Anonymous

JN and Anonymous need to walk up to Christies and see the state of the houses around there. Most of them look like they haven’t been cleaned for 40 years.

By Elephant

This is the other side of Didsbury village, nowhere near the Christie in Withington.

By JN

JN & Anon’s comments on Affordable Housing beggar belief !

By Tha' Knows

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