Studio Egret West picked to draft 4,500-home Holt Town vision
Manchester City Council has appointed the design studio to draw up a 10-year regeneration and investment vision for 74 acres of post-industrial wasteland.
Studio Egret West will lead a multi-disciplinary team for the Holt Town project, including Deloitte, MVRDV NEXT, Turley, AKT II, Hilson Moran, Deetu, and Hatch.
The appointment follows a procurement competition for the chance to draw up a Neighbourhood Development Framework that launched last October. SEW beat off competition from Allies and Morrison, Gensler, Macreanor Lavington, Planit, and Prior and Partners to win the gig.
The winning submission reflected a “creative and energetic approach to the regeneration opportunity”, according to Manchester City Council.
David West, founding director of Studio Egret West said: “Our team was instantly energised by the council’s bold ambition to bring forward a pioneering framework for Holt Town.
“We will bring a fresh approach to the challenge of shaping a ‘town within the city’ and look forward to championing a genuinely collaborative and co-created neighbourhood framework.”
Dubbed as one of the city’s most exciting regeneration opportunities, Holt Town is located between Eastlands and the city centre.
The vision is to transform the area into a sustainable, digitally-driven new town within the city, with capacity for around 4,500 new homes.
The NDF will propose “generous” green public space that will include designs for future living, underpinned by good health and well-being principles, including new active travel routes, according to the city council.
The draft plan will be prepared in the coming months before consultation later this year.
Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The successful submission reflects Holt Town’s potential to create a new town in the city for a growing Manchester.
“It mirrored our own vision and ambition to ensure we celebrate the area’s heritage while creating new opportunities for digital investment, affordable homes and low-carbon features that will futureproof this new neighbourhood.
She added: “We will always strive to deliver more for our residents and businesses and to work with partners who share this approach. I look forward to seeing the newly appointed team progress the plan for this community, supporting our ambitions for sustainable and inclusive growth as a key principle for Holt Town.”
I didn’t know that SEW had a Manchester office or even a North West office. Hmmm learn something new everyday. Its good to see that we supporting our strong designers in the North West.
By Allergic to Squirrels
Great news for this area and its future residents.
Please let’s have some good designs instead of some of the past housing areas like Ancoats had.
The city centre is extending outwards and will soon include areas like the Etihad campus, Co-op arena and the like.
This proposed development can’t come quickly enough for me as it’s embarrassing for visitors to arrive at Piccadilly station then travel to the above arenas.
By Peter Chapman
Can I check what MCC local spending policy is? Do they have any policy which are aimed at supporting local?
By Asking for a squirrel
Surely MCC should be supporting local designers
By Cattleburn Square
Let’s not forget that we have been here before ? Years 2005 – 08 saw a scoping study , Masterplan , development agreement and a planning consent for c. 4200 dwellings . SEW were involved in this process. Financial crash disrupted things fundamentally – but the then master planners represented part of the scheme as the 2012 Olympic Village at Stratford. Problem was always land assembly and bold public section action will be required to tackle this and to see off unrealistic
landowner expectations re value.
By Anonymous