Two Manchester towers to be rubber stamped
A pair of proposals from Glenbrook and Vita Group concerning plots at Whitworth Street West and First Street and totalling 77 storeys have been recommended for approval by Manchester City Council.
Whitworth Street West
364 apartments are proposed. Credit: via Inform Communications
Glenbrook’s plans for the development of a 44-storey tower comprising 364 homes have taken a step forward after officers recommended approval for the scheme.
The site in question is located on a 0.4-acre plot, currently comprising two vacant red brick offices at 2-4 Whitworth Street.
Plans drawn up by architect Sheppard Robson indicate that the housing mix comprises 120 one-bedroom flats, 218 two-bed, and 26 three-bed homes.
Deloitte advised Glenbrook on the application, and Sheppard Robson is the architect behind Whitworth Street West.
A landscaped and accessible public realm at the foot of the tower would welcome tenants who would pass underneath three-storey terracotta arches to enter the building.
Ancillary accommodation in the form of resident lounges, workspaces, and health and wellbeing facilities, spanning a total of 7,800 sq ft would be offered on the next three floors.
Car parking has not been included in the scheme, but residents will overlook the Bee Network and would be minutes away from both tram and train services at Deansgate.
The developer hopes to appoint a main contractor this year, with work set to commence in early 2026.
The scheme’s project team includes Layer.studio, Hilson Moran, AKT II, Futureserv, OFR, Mainer, Curtins, Quartz, and GIA.
A legal agreement states Glenbrook must contribute to off-site affordable housing.
To view the scheme’s planning documents, use the reference number 141773/FO/2024 in Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
First Street
Tim Groom Architects designed the project. Credit: via consultation
The student accommodation provider has had plans for a c-shaped, part 12, part 33 storey PBSA project with ground floor amenity space recommended for approval.
After developing the one-acre vacant brownfield site off First Street, Vita Group’s scheme would offer 841 beds, with 15%, equating to 129 rooms, set to be affordable.
Tim Groom Architects designed the scheme, which will be built on a site known as plot 9B.
The affordable studios would operate under a nomination agreement with Manchester Metropolitan University.
In addition, 43 studios would be accessible or adaptable, with two fully equipped for tenants who are wheelchair users.
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Each studio would have a kitchenette, en-suite bathroom, and a study desk. Larger studios would include washer/dryers.
According to plans compiled and submitted to Manchester City Council by Deloitte, the scheme could contribute around £26m GVA to the economy and support 25 FTE jobs.
Vita’s venture would add more student beds to an area that sits just over the Mancunian Way from key university campuses.
The main entrance foyer would be at the junction of Newcastle Street and Hulme Street.
Within the ground floor, there would be a secure parcel store and a ‘Hub’ amenity space, which comprises social and study spaces, as well as a gym.
Refuse collection would be by a private company, which was secured in the S106 agreement.
To view the planning documents, use the reference number 141786/FO/2024.
The project is situated on plot 9b at First Street next door to the GPA’s 100,000 sq ft office and close to another Vita/Groom collaboration, House of Social.
Currently under construction, the 14-storey House of Social will provide 576 student beds and a food hall on the ground floor.
Vita completed its inaugural First Street student scheme a decade ago and the plans for plot 9b would see the developer complete a hat-trick of PBSA projects at First Street, taking the number of Vita beds there to more than 1,700.
Both applications will go before Manchester City Council’s planning committee next week.
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No messing around in Manchester it take just weeks for things to be rubber stamped.
By Anonymous
Whitworth Street could look amazing, just hope they don’t VE it, and those corner windows could do with being bigger to take full advantage of the views.
By GetItBuilt!
Please elaborate on the Legal Agreement of affordable housing contribution for Whitworth Street West.
The Viability Statement provided by CBRE within the supporting documents recommends “that the development does not incorporate any affordable housing units (or payment in lieu of on-site provision) and any sums towards planning obligations at determination stage.
“A late-stage review will be incorporated in the the Section 106 Agreement that will allow for MCC to secure up to a policy-compliant level of planning obligations, subject to the performance of the Proposed Development upon delivery”
Under these terms the best MCC could receive is the minimum required under their policy, and pushes all risk upon The Council so that Glenbrook can achieve their targeted returns before serving their obligations.
Now that doesn’t sound quite so positive, does it?
By Anonymous
I’m usually pro skyscraper but actually really like the old buildings that will need to be demolished to make way for this Whitworth Street West tower. 🙁
By We're just Normal men
The Glenbrook design is an absolute belter! First Street not so much, but Tim Groom are known for their underwhelming visuals, so let’s hope the cladding is top notch on this one
By Steve
Like the design. Those arches look like the one proposed on the corner of Deansgate near the Arndale. They are getting to grips with the public realm too. I’ve always thought that building them up is only half the job, linking them to the street is the other half.
By Anonymous
I agree with Anon at 11.19 am. They look great from a distance but aren’t that brilliant at street level.
By Elephant
There should be more space between buildings
By Anonymous
First street… more of the same square chequerboard towers. It’s getting boring. At least Whitworth Street is a little trying to be a little different.
By Anonymous
@Comment on Affordable housing
The independent review estimates the Gross Development Value (GDV) would
be c£115,193,340, with development costs of c£117,651,524 and Benchmark Land
Value (BLV) of £2,966,004. When assessed against a target profit level of 12% on
cost, which is considered to be acceptable for a scheme of this scale and risk, it
results in a developer’s profit margin of -6.37% based on a policy compliant scheme.
The output profit of -6.37% on cost is significantly lower than the target profit level of
12% on cost and overall the policy compliant scheme would make a loss. A section 106 condition will be attached requiring a re-review of affordable housing provision should there be a substantial change in market conditions.
By Watcherzero
First Street is very unimaginative, too much has be built which looks very similar. Architects, Developers and the Council need to be held to a higher standard. We’ll be stuck with these building for a very long time…
By Anonymous
I would have liked to see the Tim Groom building made of brick rather than with black metal cladding. (Their brick designs are usually pretty decent).
By MrP
I love the design for Whitworth Street, it’s interesting and the rusty red relates back to the old brick factories, it’s very beautiful.
First st is a soulless rectangle of glass that has nothing to do with Manchester and just looks like a cheap chuck up.
Planning department need to keep pushing for more diverse designs, no more glass rectangles!
By Amelia
Looks like the twin towers in new york .
By Anonymous
@Watcherzero 6:08 pm
So the independent report concludes that the developers will be losing money on the scheme?
The developers evidently disagree, so it begs the question: are these independent reports a little on the pessimistic side, and risk doing the local authority out of S106 contributions?
By Anonymous
First street tower is just a copy and paste of all the bland boxes already blighting Manchester. It really is boring on the eye. Go for a colour change at least! I do like the arches on Whitworth st one.
By Sue Denim