Rochdale Cowboy rides to the rescue of Castlefield

THE musician and broadcaster dubbed ‘the Rochdale Cowboy’ has joined the campaign to halt a 21-storey residential tower in Castlefield branding the proposed development “a visual and environmental blight”.

Mike Harding has lived in Castlefield for 22 years. In an open letter to Manchester City Council he calls for a fundamental re-think of the plans saying the sensitive site needs “a holistic approach looking at the nature of the area and the needs of people both young and old instead of the looking at the balance sheets of the developers”.

The site, which straddles Chester Road and the historic canal basin, was bought by Renaker Build which wants to develop a 21-storey tower next to the distinctive Grade II listed former Congregation Chapel and the Grade II-listed viaduct with a separate nine to 12-storey block filling the rest of the site.

The prolific developer already has 4,000 apartments under construction or with planning consent in Manchester and Salford. The Castlefield scheme would add a further 188.

More than 130 members and supporters of Castlefield Forum have formally objected to the plans and an online petition calling for them to be ditched has more than 360 signatures.

Carol Middleton, chair of the Forum, said: “We are very pleased to have the support of Mike Harding. We’ve been here before and we sincerely hope sense prevails and the current plans are thrown out and replaced with something more sensitive and appropriate.

“We certainly don’t object to development of this site – in fact it needs developing –  but we do object to a 5 metre high wall dwarfing the tow path and practically barricading the basin and a tower faced with light-coloured stone or other cladding obscuring views of the beautiful Grade II listed former Congregation Chapel. No other building round the canal basin has a similar character or uses similar materials.

“We urge everyone who cares about the quality and design of new buildings in Manchester to look at the plans closely and see what is being proposed and the damage it will do to this Urban Heritage Park.

“Castlefield Estates and a forum member met Daren Whittaker, the managing director  of Renaker, and while he listened we don’t really think he heard our rational objections. He certainly didn’t seem to be sympathetic to the passion of residents. He could do something great here – with our full support and we hope he rises to the challenge.”

Mike Harding’s letter in full:

“In every respect the proposed development at 2-4 Chester Rd will be a disaster for Manchester.

“The Castlefield area has a character of its own, the area around the canal basin in particular has put a stamp on the city over the last 20 years: urban park, low level (in the main) and people friendly.

“I have lived there for 22 years was born in Manchester and went to Uni here. I have also travelled the world, written almost 50 books and made films and programmes for both the BBC and ITV – I’ve had some experience of cities.

“A few years back we, the residents of Castlefield, fought a gross development intending to destroy Jackson’s Wharf (now The Wharf) and replace it with a massive apartment block. Peel Holdings claimed the business couldn’t make money – well look at it now. In the right hands and run by people who care and have high standards it’s a massive success.

“The council has an opportunity, working with the local community and with enlightened developers and architects, to build something that would enhance the city, for instance, a low level community housing project with a school, a medical centre, trees, open spaces, a community hall.

“This would be a holistic approach looking at the nature of the area and the needs of people both young and old instead of the looking at the balance sheets of the developers.

“The proposed development is not only a visual and environmental blight it will be a massive social blight too.

“When what we need is more social housing and more families in the city, more schools, surgeries, community facilities what we get instead is another mega plan which will satisfy the wealthy investors and the developers but which will do nothing for Manchester as a city beyond putting money in the Town Hall coffers in the form of council tax.

“This needs a massive re-think and a leap of the imagination if we are not going to put the final nail in the coffin of a once proud industrial city and turn it into yet another soulless cluster of neo-brutalist glass and brick towers.”