Manchester Life kicks off latest New Islington build
Contractor Sisk has started a two-year build programme on Lampwick, a 213-home scheme in New Islington designed by architect CallisonRTKL.
The mixed 10, five and six-storey blocks will be built on a cleared site next to the Ancoats Dispensary, and formerly home to Ancoats Hospital, demolished in the mid-2000s.
Developed by Manchester Life, a partnership between Manchester City Council and Manchester City FC owners Abu Dhabi United Group, Lampwick includes 209 apartments and four duplex homes, along with four commercial units at ground floor level.
The homes will be for private rent and residential amenities include a gym and juice bar. All three blocks will be set around a central courtyard. Manchester Life secured a £24.5m loan from the Greater Manchester Housing Investment Loans Fund for the scheme in November 2017.
Sisk is set to hand over the project in September 2021.
It is the latest scheme by Manchester Life to come forward in the area, with works well under way at New Little Mill, a 68-apartment scheme including a mix of façade retention and new-build.
Sisk is one of three contractors involved with Manchester Life, the others being Eric Wright and Graham. The latter of these completed Weavers Quay, a 201-apartment build-to-rent scheme nearby, last month.
Another project being delivered by Graham for Manchester Life, Murrays Mills, is still yet to fully complete with the scheme running significantly behind its September 2018 completion date.
Meanwhile no one is contributing to saving the historic Ancoats Dispensary which is crumbling right in front of it
By Dispensary
Agree with Dispensary. This at least is better than the monstrosity on the other side of the road.
By Elephant
What is happening with the Dispensary? I thought they’d given up, I hope someone else gives it another go.
Also, I love the look of this.
By Liam
@ Elephant – corrected it for you. This at least is better than the monstrosity on the other side of the basin (One Vesta Street). There were plans for the Dispensary 18 months ago. Not sure why they were never submitted. Lack of funding I’m guessing.
By Mystery
Agree with both comments, why is the dispensary not getting any love? Even from a commercial point of view, if it could at least be saved by being turned into flats they would be worth loads (although a community use would be even better).
And yes – the building opposite is indeed a monstrosity!
By Ancoats Resident
The Ancoats Dispensary Trust put up a valiant effort to convert the building to community uses, but unfortunately couldn’t get quite over the finish line with the money needed.
The Trust raised £1.2m in funds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Investment and Contract Readiness Fund, Power to Change and through donations from the public and private donors. This was spent on emergency remediation works, surveys, legal costs and administrative costs.
Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful in securing an additional £4.3m from the National Lottery and consequently ownership reverted back to Urban Splash before then being transferred to Manchester City Council. The “ambition” for the building was to work with Great Places Housing Trust to use the building for social housing, but I don’t know how far these plans have progressed.
By Communiteh
Iconoclastic architecture funded by a dubious regime.
SAVE THE DISPENSARY
By Acelius
Alas more rabbit hutch homes, Manchester looks soulless these days. These buildings offer very little at street level and all look so similarly boring.
By Grim up north