Plans submitted for Aytoun Street hotel

Developers Dominvs and McAleer & Rushe have submitted a planning application for a 306-bed hotel on the site of the derelict employment exchange in Piccadilly, Manchester.

The site is between Aytoun Street and the Rochdale Canal, to the rear of the Malmaison hotel. It is one of the city council's longest standing priority sites still remaining to be developed. The site is close to an important arrival point into the city centre at Manchester Piccadilly rail station.

Subject to planning consent, the developers say they will start on site in early 2014 and hope to be open by October 2015.

"The Employment Exchange site was the perfect opportunity to restore and revive such an historical site" says Preet Ahluwalia, director of Dominvs Hospitality.

The employment exchange building would be demolished and replaced with the new hotel, designed by Urban Innovations in two blocks; one of six storeys and the other of eight storeys.

Harry Spawton, planning partner at Gerald Eve, advising the developers, said: "This is a key site in Manchester city centre, which has been vacant for nearly 20 years and is in desperate need of investment. These proposals have been developed following detailed pre-application discussions with the city council, Canal & River Trust and other key stakeholders, and the new hotel would bring a variety of benefits to this part of the city. It is hoped that planning permission will be granted towards the end of the year, or very early next year, and our client intends to commence construction as soon as possible thereafter."

An earlier plan for a 44-storey residential tower on the site was granted planning permission in 2005 but was not implemented.