Green light for £30m apartments scheme
SPECIALIST housing developer Mulbury has been given the go ahead to build 143 apartments in Ancoats, Manchester, aimed at the private rented sector.
The £30m development, on a 0.24-hectare site at the junction of Blossom Street and Great Ancoats Street, was approved by Manchester City Council’s planning committee yesterday (January 12).
It will see the construction of two separate buildings, one eight-storeys and one seven-storeys providing a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as three townhouses. There will be ground floor reception and concierge areas, around 400 square metres of commercial space, and car parking and cycle spaces.
Designed by Tim Groom Architects, the scheme was brought forward following consultation with Manchester City Council, Historic England and Places Matter.
James Alderson, head of Mulbury City, said: “This is a high-quality PRS scheme that will contribute to better housing choice in this fast-growing and exciting part of the city.
“We’re thrilled to have gained a planning consent and will now begin working towards securing a funding package for the development and appointing a contractor. We look forward to engaging further with the local community as the scheme progresses.”
Tim Groom, director of Tim Groom Architects, said: “This challenging site has to address two very different contexts – a bustling Great Ancoats Street and the more intimate heart of Ancoats. We’ve worked closely with Manchester City Council and as always it has been an enjoyable process that has delivered a positive planning approval for the city.”
The planning team for the development comprised Deloitte, Tim Groom Architects, Scott Hughes Design, Futureserv, Primas Law, Gray Scanlan Hill, SK Transport Planning, Omega Fire, Pre Construct Archaeology, Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture Ltd, Wardell Armstrong, dBx Acoustics Ltd, Penny Anderson Associates Ltd, BMT Fluid Mechanics and Pager Power.
Rachel Poole, assistant director at Deloitte, said: “The site’s strategic location on the corner of Great Ancoats Street and Blossom Street connects Ancoats to the remainder of the city centre. The proposal will therefore have a significant role to play in the fast-moving economic, population and regeneration growth initiatives in Ancoats.”
Regenerating a partially vacant and under-utilised site, the 143 proposed units are made up of 49 one-bedroom apartments, 90 two-bedroom apartments and one three-bedroom apartment, plus the three townhouses.
The scheme will be Mulbury’s second city centre PRS development. Mulbury is currently on site with its first Manchester PRS scheme at Port Street, just across Great Ancoats Street in the Northern Quarter. This £27.6m scheme of 135 apartments is being funded by M&G Real Estate and built by Bardsley Construction.
Mulbury has also been given permission to transform the derelict site of a former Atlas Engineering Works into a development of 64 new homes by the planning committee.
David Wroe, of Mulbury, said: “This site provides an excellent opportunity to increase the supply of high-quality, sustainable family homes in Levenshulme. By regenerating a site that has fallen into disrepair, these homes will also have a significant positive impact on the local area, including a new street layout and landscaping.”
The scheme will see 22 three-bedroom homes, 14 four-bedroom homes and 28 two-bedroom apartments built on the site. Work on the new homes is scheduled to begin in the Spring.
Wroe added: “The development has been designed with respect for the existing homes in the area. They will be of a modern appearance with the use of red-facing brick and rendered gables, while the apartment block will acknowledge the architecture of the former Atlas Mill.”
The planning application for the site followed a public consultation with residents. North West planning consultancy PWA Planning advised Mulbury.
