Manchester allocates £6.2m towards Crown Street school 

To be located within a cluster of Renaker-developed skyscrapers, the 210-place primary school is expected to open in September 2023. 

Manchester City Council has agreed to provide capital funding for the project of £2.7m between 2022 and 2024, as well as allocating £3.5m from its education budget. 

The funds, totalling £6.2m, were signed off by the council’s executive earlier this week.

“The new school will serve the growing number of families already living in the city centre as well as helping to attract more families to the area,” according to the council. 

The authority has been working in partnership with developer Renaker on plans for the school, which is being delivered as part of a wider residential development. 

Also featuring a 26-place nursery, the school would be located on a plot between Crown Street phases one and two. 

Phase one features the completed Victoria Residence and the near-complete Elizabeth Tower. Phase two comprises two 51-storey towers, Blade and Three60, both currently in the early stages of construction.

A public consultation on the new school is currently underway and is open until 15 November, after which the council will seek proposals from potential sponsors for the school. 

A recommendation of a preferred sponsor will then be made to the Regional Schools Commissioner who will decide on the most suitable proposer to take forward the school.

Cllr Garry Bridges, executive member for children and schools at Manchester City Council, said: “This is a big moment for Manchester and a big statement on what we want our city centre to be – a family friendly place with lots of homes and jobs for all.

“People want to make the city centre their home and so it’s important for us to provide the infrastructure they need to enable them to do this through every stage of their lives. Having a good local school on their doorstep is what every family wants and our city centre residents deserve no less.”

The school would be three storeys with play facilities located on the roof.

Advice from Places Matter encourages Renaker to “seek something extraordinary” in terms of the school’s design and pointed to Antonio Gaudi’s Casa Mila in Barcelona “with its amazing sculptural roofscape” as an exemplar.  

It was originally proposed that the school would be located within the podium connecting Blade and Three60 but this was revised after further consideration of factors including noise and air quality.  

The relocation of the school site also allows for a larger public park as part of Crown Street phase two.  

The project team for Crown Street includes Deloitte as planning consultant and SimpsonHaugh as architect. 

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Wonder if any CILs or s106s are contributing?

By BC

The Casa Mila? They might need to up their budget a bit…Cuckoo.

By Anonymous

A sign of prosperity for the city centre

By Anonymous

How very clever and thoughtful of manchester city council to help build a school and nursery in centre of Manchester. Just think of all those children breathing in polluted air from all the traffic GREAT! Just what they need and every parent wants. Get your priorities right MCC make the city and surrounding areas green and pollution free first, do something mancunians will thank you for and you can be proud of in your dotage

By Elizabeth colgan

This isn’t the environment children should be living and attending school in. Skyscraper apartments are fine if you are a real housewife of Cheshire type, or a footballers wag. Let children have a proper childhood.

By Liverpool romance

Elizabeth why do you want to kill Manchester ?

By Dan

There are many districts in large successful cities the world over LR that have schools and all of the attendant services of a civilised and prosperous city. There are now many young professionals that have come and are coming to the city in increasing numbers as the number of jobs and offices increases and Manchester pulls in workers from all areas (see recent PNW office and apartment reports) Who knows, perhaps Liverpool will see this level of growth one day but for now it’s here and facilities must be provided. As public transport improves across Manchester and vehicles electrify the air quality will continue to improve but that’s an issue all large cities must continue to wrestle with.

By Anonymous

Excellent news. As more districts grow in the city centre we’ll need more of these and doctors and parks…bring it on!

By BizzyLizzy

Elizabeth. London, Paris and Barcelona to name three place far more dense than Manchester have thousands of children living in their core, maybe that’s why they are making big moves in LTN’s ULEZ, transit investment, cycle lanes, but so is GM

By Rich X

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