Stocktons skyscraper unanimously refused as Neville circles
Manchester City Council has rejected plans for a 50-storey apartment building at the Great Ancoats Street site, with the former Manchester United captain understood to be in advanced talks to take a stake.
The scheme’s deliverability, scale, and lack of affordable housing were cited as reasons for the refusal of the Stocktons redevelopment.
The project, which was recommended for approval by officers, will return to committee at a later date so that members can sign off reasons for refusal.
The redevelopment of the Stocktons site is being progressed by Liquid Funding Business – the company headed up by serial entrepreneur Daniel Green – but Gary Neville’s Relentless Developments is keen to get involved, according to Place sources.
Relentless is rapidly amassing a pipeline of projects after completing and filling No1 St Michael’s, an office building off Jacksons Row.
In recent months, the company has added several sites in the St Mary’s Parsonage regeneration zone to its portfolio. The firm is working with Investec on the latter’s long-held ambition to convert the Kendal Milne building on Deansgate into offices and has picked up Reedham House and the cleared site of Alberton House, which are both earmarked for office schemes.
The Stocktons proposition is the latest high-profile city centre development Neville is hoping to have a say in delivering. However, today’s unanimous refusal is a clear setback for the proposal.
Relentless declined to comment on the deal.
Designed by SimpsonHaugh, the development features a 50-storey building, and another half the size, comprising 750 apartments as well as 45,000 sq ft of office space.
Its first outing at November’s committee saw the project deferred so that a site visit could take place. The following month, a decision was deferred again amid concerns about the impact of the scheme on the amount of daylight residents in the neighbouring Oxygen tower would enjoy.
This week, ward councillors Cllr Sam Wheeler and Cllr Jon-Connor Lyons both spoke out in opposition to the scheme. Wheeler said the project is at odds with the strategic regeneration framework for the area, which limits height to 45-storeys. Lyons said the developer had not engaged meaningfully with local residents.
Both said the project is not deliverable on viability grounds. Indeed, the developer-commissioned viability appraisal and the one commissioned by the council estimate the project – based on 100% open market sale – would lose £50m and £29m respectively.
To learn more about the project, search for reference number 142535/FO/2025 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
