Heritage group cries foul over footballer’s property plans for Ancoats

A heritage group has cried foul over property plans by Manchester City and Belgium defender Vincent Kompany.

Together with property tycoon Nathan Ezair, he owns M4nchester Two Ltd, which submitted plans for 75 luxury flats in Ancoats, which were approved by the council yesterday.

The nine-storey development is situated on the site of the former 1950s electrical works on Bengal Street, synonymous with the area’s former cotton industry.

The developers want to demolish the former electrical works to make way for the project, which includes one- to three-bedroom homes aimed at families and available for private rental with a rooftop communal garden and top floor terraces.

However, the Government’s heritage advisers, Historic England, have objected to the scheme, describing it as “monolithic”.

Historic England said that the plan would have an adverse effect on Ancoats and be harmful to the character of the area.

The group said the area owes its renaissance to “heritage-led” regeneration, with the protection of its historic mills at the heart.

However, the developers claim the scheme, which is close to the offices of homeless charity Mustard Tree homeless, respects the heritage of the area while providing “an elegant and contemporary” development.

Kompany is not the first sporting celebrity to fall foul of objections to development schemes.

Last year a £200m skyscraper in Manchester city centre backed by former Manchester United stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs was approved, despite similar criticism from heritage campaigners.

And ex-England cricketer Andrew Flintoff had plans for a 35-storey tower in Castlefield rejected.