Views tables Fallowfield homes proposal

The former USDAW headquarters off Wilmslow Road is the subject of plans for 53 one- to four-bed homes.

Views unveiled its plans for the site late last year following a failed attempt at redeveloping it by Watkin Jones.

Watkin Jones wanted to construct 425 student units on the site but had its plans rejected first by Manchester City Council and then by the Planning Inspectorate at appeal.

Designed by Nick Moss Architects, Views’ plans are more modest than Watkin Jones’s and propose converting the historic Oakley Villa into 11 flats and building 42 houses on the surrounding land.

AshtonHale is advising on planning matters. A planning application has been submitted to Manchester City Council but has not yet been validated.

Shujaat Rasool, co-chief executive of Views, said: “Our proposals for Oakley Gardens are a juxtaposition of old and new; restoring the much-loved historic Oakley Villa and complementing it with much-needed family homes.

“Alongside this, there’s been much care and attention paid to tree retention, landscape enhancement and heritage conservation to provide a sustainable development that caters to modern living.”

He added: “By providing a mix of carefully considered one- to four-bedroom properties, we can meet the needs of a large range of people and celebrate a defining feature of the site.”