Greater Manchester skyline transformed by rise of tall buildings
Greater Manchester city centre’s transformation into a mini-Manhattan continues apace with the number of tall buildings rising dramatically in the past 20 years, according to unique research from residential property management specialist urbanbubble.
The third annual Tall Buildings Report from the company’s data division, UrbInfo Manchester, shows the number of completed buildings of 20-storeys or more in Greater Manchester rising from just 12 in the year 2000 to a total of 37 in 2019.
Another 20 towers are under construction, 25 others have secured planning permission, with decisions on another 12 yet to be made and with a further 48 tall buildings announced and at the pre-planning stage.
There are 25 existing and proposed buildings of more than 40-storeys in the city, with the average height of tall buildings being 30-storeys.
The report cited a ‘huge increase’ in planning applications for tall buildings submitted towards the end of 2019, including four in quarter three and another 11 in quarter four – the highest number of any quarter on record.
Consequently, tall buildings accounted for almost one third of all major development applications in Greater Manchester, with the vast majority in the central core, which takes in Manchester city centre and Salford Quays
Ed Howe, head of research at UrbInfo Manchester, forecast that the strong pipeline of existing and potential applications for buildings of 20-storeys or more could lead to Greater Manchester having an estimated 50 such towers before the end of the 2020s.
This ongoing development drive would help to address the housing requirements of a rapidly-expanding Manchester and Salford by providing an additional 30,000 homes in both cities over the next decade.
Ed said: “Tall buildings now play a greater role in the redevelopment of Greater Manchester than ever before and nearly 30% of all major development applications made in the city in 2019 include tall buildings, compared to just 13% in 2017.
“If the current tall buildings pipeline is developed, nearly 30,000 homes will be helping to tackle the housing needs of a burgeoning European city literally reaching for the skies.”
The Tall Buildings Report shows that most existing and proposed towers are in central Manchester and immediate surrounding areas such as the cluster of towers at Deansgate Square and Greengate in Salford, with the forthcoming Greater Manchester Spatial Framework continuing to encourage development in sustainable locations such as close to Metrolink tram stops.
The second largest number of such buildings are in the Quays ward covering Salford Quays – where a ‘multitude’ of proposals arose during 2019, including Anchorage Gateway and the redevelopment of Pier 7-Cotton Quay.
The report also records that tall buildings are spreading further afield with 22- and 23-storey residential schemes proposed for Eccles in Salford and a 20-storey residential tower at Trinity Gateway in Bolton.
