£50m St Peter’s Square scheme set for approval

PLANS for a £50m redevelopment of Elisabeth House in Manchester’s St Peter’s Square are set to get the green light from councillors this week.

Planning officers have recommended the 14-storey scheme is approved when it is considered on Thursday.

Argent entered a joint venture with the Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund, the investment arm of the Greater Manchester local authorities’ pension fund, in October last year with plans to rebuild the site which formerly housed the Dutch Pancake Company.

Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, the 270,000 sq ft building will be more than twice the size of Elisabeth House, which stands at around 110,000 sq ft.

It will include office floorplates of up to 22,500 sq ft with a mix of uses at ground floor level, including cultural space for public exhibitions, as well as a double height reception, offering views across St Peter’s Square.

The report, which acknowledges the council’s vested interest through its links to the pension fund, states: “The proposal is interesting and modern, and would be acceptable and appropriate in the city context, and with the surrounding heritage assets.

“This approach of introducing a modern building into a historic environment has worked successfully elsewhere in Manchester and the scheme respects the setting of the St Peter’s Sq conservation area and the listed buildings associated with it.”

There were just four objections to the scheme which singled out its size and the noise and disruption associated with the construction. Argent declined to comment ahead of the meeting on Thursday.