Zephyr X floats 23-storey BTR plan
Proposals have been unveiled for a 237-apartment tower off Cheetham Hill Road, the developer’s debut Manchester project.
Zephyr X Developments, founded by Adam Faulkner in 2020, has launched a consultation on its plans to build a 23-storey build-to-rent scheme in Manchester.
Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the project would provide 154 two-bedroom apartments and 83 with one-bedroom, as well as ground floor commercial space.
The tower would be built on a site fronting Cheetham Hill Road and bound by Carnarvon Street and Gibson Place. The plot has been vacant for several years and was previously the forecourt for a car showroom.
The site is earmarked for residential development within the Great Ducie Street Strategic Regeneration Framework.
Cheetham Hill is becoming an increasingly attractive prospect for developers due to the amount of regeneration going on around it. Last month, Benjamin Property Company put forward plans for a 25-storey scheme off Park Place, a short distance from Zephyr’s site.
Manchester College’s new city campus and Salboy’s 556-home Waterhouse Gardens are also nearby, while FEC and Manchester City Council’s 15,000-home Victoria North and the proposed regeneration of Strangeways will only hasten the speed of development in places like Cheetham Hill.
Graham Haydon-White, managing director at Zephyr X, said: “We hope to support the ongoing regeneration of this increasingly vibrant corner of Manchester and help meet the established demand for high-quality accommodation in the city centre.
“Through our consultation, which is getting underway this week, we encourage our neighbours to view our plans and let us know their thoughts.”
The project team includes planning consultant Euan Kellie Property Solutions, and project manager KS4 Consulting.
Zephyr X specialises in the development of residential schemes and is currently delivering care homes in Wigan and Blackburn as well as a 375-apartment BTR project in Milton Keynes.
This design does nothing meaningful to help revitalise the area, sorry we need more imagination.
By mcleod
Perhaps mcleod could let us know what his view is based on
By Twirly
Wonder if the MMU library fans will be so effusive about this resi scheme by Hawkins Brown!!!
By Compare
Looks really good. A welcome addition to the area, and complements the other scheme close-by, though I’m not convinced either scheme will be built.
By ALL
Seems quite grim to me. All for rent. No affordable provision. No external balcony or communal amenity space. No wheelchair accessible Part M(3) apartments. Not a single parking space – of the ~500 people who will be living here surely someone has a mobility issue that requires a car? A basement car park could be easily incorporated into this scheme with access off Gibson Place. I note on the consultation website the unfortunate statement “In line with our goal of promoting sustainable forms of travel, the development will be entirely car-free” – which ought to be paraphrased as “we don’t want to provide a car park as this will hurt our yield”.
By Wandering Manc
That design is atrocious. Bland, boring, unimaginative. Not the sort of words that are going to kickstart the regeneration of this area.
By Anonymous
I think the wide shot at the top of the article is not the best, the detailed images on the consultation website do help make it look nicer
By Bradford
This is what they do in the developing world, build a skyscraper next to a shanty town.
By Elephant
There are huge and long term plans for Cheetham Hill…this CGI needs to be better.
By Anonymous
Looking good
By Tannoy
Has Elephant seen what is on the other side of the road? Oh yeah it’s the high density Green Quarter. Come on Elephant keep up
By Compare
Speculative nonsense, probably designed to test the limits of the Strangeways planning framework.
Hopefully this is given short shrift.
By Anonymous
Not sure what they are consulting on here really, beyond “do you support us building a big block of flats in this plot?” No mention at all in the consultation about affordable provision (are they hoping MCC reverts to not pushing its own policy too much?), and previous commenter is right that car-free development on a site like that means “leave your car somewhere else.” It’s looking like MCC should have put more work in on a comprehensive framework for the area, as in spite of all the talk, it’s looking like it will be a free-for-all for whichever developers get in first, with variable quality and lack of cohesion the result.
By Rotringer
It is a bit boring, I have to agree. Then again, the neighbourhood is in a terrible state and this has been vacant for a while. It’s good things are finally starting to happen here. This is right next to another tower next door that is planned. Perhaps once the area stops being so stabby, we may see some higher quality buildings later
By EOD
This is an improvement to what’s already in the surrounding area (gold clad building opposite)
By Anonymous
Yesterday you were all eulogising about Hawkins Brown and saying how much better they were than the usual suspects…….
You need to make your minds up. The reality is that whoever the architect is most tall residential building will have a similar form
By Rubbish
I think the imagery is letting this proposal down. Still looks to be on the drawing board and no doubt some better cgi’s will emerge. This area is a real mish mash of styles and a rigourous, well proportioned facade as proposed will surely bring a bit of calm quality to the area.
By Dadbod
Rubbish, Firstly “we” are not a single entity, there are many people who come on here and comment, so thanks for the patronising input . As for your point , manifest nonsense too every tall building does not have a similar form, from Setback to round to blade shaped with or without pediment there are so many forms that other than the Y axis have little in common.
By Anonymous
Ok so there’s a mistake here.
It’s Gibson Place and not Gilbert Place.
By Balcony Monitor
Hi Balcony Monitor, you are correct. Thanks for spotting this. The storey has been amended. Cheers, Dan
By Dan Whelan
White buildings tend to look much better in climates
that get a lot of sun.
Which is probably why they are proposing yet another one in sunny Manchester…
By MrP
Not sure having the CGI in all white does this any favours. Also where are the balconies?
By Balcony Warrior
Needs balconies.
By Anonymous