Plans in to restore fire-damaged Chinatown site

A planning application has been submitted to bring a fire-damaged building in Manchester’s Chinatown back into use by converting it into a ground-floor restaurant and seven apartments.

The building on 55 Faulkner Street was severely damaged by a fire in November 2016, in which two homeless men died. A murder investigation was launched following the fire.

It has long been earmarked for redevelopment, having remained largely empty for a number of years. Previous plans by its private owners included a boutique hotel, which were drawn up in 2016. The hotel was subsequently changed to apartments in late 2016.

Following the fire, the plans have been redeveloped to include seven apartments and a restaurant on the ground floor. External repairs have already been carried out to the building, including replacement of brickwork and restoration of windows.

The building’s façade has also been propped and supported to allow the fire service and the police to continue with their investigation.

The final proposals, prepared by Green Architectural Design, have now been submitted to Manchester City Council following a series of consultations with city planning officers.

These include six one and two-bedroom flats as well as a penthouse housed in a rooftop extension, and a restaurant on ground floor and basement levels.

The internal structure of the building is to be removed as a result of fire damage, while a new stair will have to be built after the building’s main staircase was destroyed. The building’s façade will be retained.

The professional team on the project also includes Richard K Morriss & Associates as historic building consultants; DW Consulting Engineers as structural engineer; and EFL Consulting as fire engineer.

Oldham-based design-and-build contractor James West is also attached to the project as main contractor.