Freddie Flintoff’s firm submits new plans for Manchester development

Castlefield scheme

Freddie Flintoff’s property firm have published a set of revised plans for a major scheme in the centre of Manchester.

Logik Developments were forced to go back to the drawing board after the first set of plans for the scheme in Castlefield were rejected.

The original proposal involved the construction of a 35-storey tower and a 10-storey block housing a total of 386 apartments on land bordered by Arundel Street, Worsley Street, Ellesmere Street and Egerton Street.

Under the new plans, the tower will be scaled down to 23 storeys, the second building will be reconfigured and the overall number of apartments will be reduced to 355.

The scheme was rejected by Manchester City Council’s planning committee last October.

Following an extensive redesign amid consultation with residents through the Britannia Basin Community Forum, Logik’s new plans will be presented at a consultation event from 4pm to 7pm on Friday at The Banyan Tree in Hulme.

The revised blueprint will be submitted to the council soon afterwards.

Salford Quays-based Recom Solutions is the project manager for the scheme. Deloitte is the planning consultant and SimpsonHaugh is the architect.

The revised scheme includes redeveloping a former Department of Transport building to create further apartments and commercial space on the ground floor.

The original scheme

The tower’s position has been altered to reflect local concerns.

Other changes include provision for landscaping and improved public access to the Bridgewater Canal.

Logik Developments director Neil Spencer said: “We are delighted to be presenting our redesigned scheme, which we believe captures all of the concerns expressed at the previous planning committee.

“We believe that working with the local community groups and rethinking the project with the design team will result in a development that will have a positive impact on the immediate vicinity and the city as a whole.”

Freddie Flintoff

Neil, who is Freddie Flintoff’s cousin, said he hopes Manchester brands will occupy bars and cafés within the proposed commercial spaces.

Recom Solutions director Jason McKnight said: “The height of the tower will be reduced by around 30 per cent and overall we believe this proposal, if approved, will provide a fantastic and more sympathetic scheme for the area.

“The design team has collaborated with the Britannia Basin Community Forum, building a great rapport and ensuring local people have been fully involved.”

SimpsonHaugh founding partner Rachel Haugh said: “We greatly enjoyed the process of consultation and design development explored with the Britannia Basin Community Forum.

“The outcome is a proposed built form, landscape and pedestrian experience which we believe will contribute positively to the area.”

A spokeswoman for the Britannia Basin Community Forum said: “We are delighted that Logik chose to work with the Britannia Basin Community Forum to address concerns which led to the previous scheme being rejected by the Manchester City Council planning committee.

“This collaborative approach with SimpsonHaugh has been successful to date and we are hopeful of a design that contributes significantly to the community as a whole.”

 

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close