Sevendale House’s £6m refurb given go-ahead

MANCHESTER City Council has given planning consent to allow for the £6m refurbishment of Sevendale House in Manchester’s Northern Quarter to go ahead.

The Grade II listed, 120,000 sq ft building in the Stevenson Square Conservation area has tenants such as art supplies retailer Fred Aldous and bar/nightclub operators Noho and Copacabana on the basemenet and ground floors, but it is converting 61,000 sq ft on five upper floors into more modern office accommodation.

Mark Davies, director of the building’s owner, Philip J Davies (Holdings) PLC, said: “We are delighted that our plans to revitalise this historic building have been endorsed by the City Council and also by English Heritage. 

“It is a complex project which requires a careful and sensitive approach to balance commercial expectations from future office users with the need to preserve and enhance its original features.”

Dominic Horridge, building consultancy partner at OBI Property, said: “OBI are delighted to have now been instructed to proceed with the next phase of the project and we are consulting with our project team which includes architects Stephenson Bell,  Crookes Walker Consulting and Tier Consulting to move towards a tendering process for the work involved including the reintroduction of the original lightwell which was part of Sevendale House’s original design and planning consent in 1903.

“This will provide superb natural daylight for the office space and add much to the attractions of the building for future tenants.”