Latest stage of Wythenshawe Masterplan gets go-ahead

PLANNING permission has been granted for building to start at Etrop Court in Wythenshawe town centre.

The green light means developer St Modwen can begin work on six retail outlets and a new district office for Manchester City Council.

Up to 500 staff Manchester City Council staff will be based in office space at the development, where it has taken 50,000 sq ft of, for Children and Adult Services and the Wythenshawe Regeneration departments.

The building on Poundswick Lane will be anchored by two major retail stores operated by Wilkinson and Netto and is part of St Modwen’s ongoing £100m regeneration of the town centre.

Prelets with these operators totalling 35,000 sq ft of retail space were announced in March last year.

Construction work will start this summer and the building will be completed in late 2011. The Council plans to move staff to the new offices in 2012.

St Modwen will also build a new bus station at Forum Square, to create a transport interchange with the Metrolink, which is being extended to Manchester Airport via Wythenshawe. The current bus station site has been earmarked for future redevelopment.

Michelle Taylor, regional director at St Modwen, said: “A thriving and bustling town centre which provides jobs and vital local amenities has been the vision of our partnership with Manchester City Council since we took ownership.

“This development will help to deliver a significant part of that vision as we build further on the foundations we have been preparing over the last few years.”