Neville in rethink over controversial £200m St Michael’s scheme

Football star turned property mogul Gary Neville has asked Manchester City Council to hold off making a decision over the controversial £200m St Michael’s scheme.

This is in the wake of fierce criticism of the scheme from Government agency  Historic England which last month objected to the plan which includes 153 apartments at Jackson’s Row and the demolition of the historic Abercromby pub, the 1930s Bootle Street police station and the 1950s synagogue.

It said the development would aggressively “jar against the grand civic buildings which define this part of Manchester”.

Plans were submitted to the city council by the St Michael’s Partnership, of which former Manchester United and England footballer Neville is part.

However, speaking at the Manchester Pavilion at MIPIM 2017 in Cannes today he said: “We have currently asked Manchester City Council not to make a determination on this project.

“That’s not to say we are going to change the key principles of scale and height.”

With uncharacteristic understatement, he acknowledged “we haven’t pleased everybody” but said that “over the last six months, 12 months, we have tried to listen and have made many changes”.

The delay will see more changes made to the plans, with particular focus on the Bootle Street part of the plans.

“I think we can improve what we have done. We need to change what we do on Bootle Street, we have failed on that. We are struggling to get our message across.”

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