Plans for major mixed-use Northern Gateway scheme

Plans to build a major mixed-use development, including approximately 1,200 new homes, are being proposed for the former Gould Street Gasworks site north of Manchester city centre.

The developer, Southvalley Estates, is part of MCR Property Group, which has owned the land since 2015.

It intends to transform a site that has been used for surface car parking for years into a thriving new urban neighbourhood, in line with Manchester City Council’s Northern Gateway initiative.

The Gasworks New Town will create around 1,200 homes, plus commercial units, a new park located off Gould Street and new pedestrian and cycling routes through the site.

Comprising a mix of townhouses and apartments in mid-rise blocks, the proposals also aim to build a 33-storey tower at the North-East corner of the site.

The proposals are for the creation of:

• Around 1,200 dwellings comprising townhouses and apartments, ranging from one to four bedrooms in size
• A park between Gould Street and Bromley Street serving existing and future residents
• A new pedestrianised lane running east to west through the site
• Two commercial units
• Secure underground car parking, accessed from Gould Street and from Bilbrook Street
• New landscaping to Gould Street, Williamson Street, Bromley Street and Bilbrook Street

Manchester City Council had earmarked the 2.7-hectare site for a residential-led development that would be a flagship element of its Northern Gateway Strategic Regeneration Framework.

Working with planning consultant, WSP, the developer is seeking feedback from local communities, workers and stakeholders on the draft proposals, before a planning application is submitted to Manchester City Council later in 2020.

The plans have been prepared by architects AHR, with landscape and public realm designed by Planit.

If planning permission is granted, Southvalley Estates and National Grid will begin to clear the site and remediate the land in 2021 or 2022.

The development is intended to be built in four phases, starting with the corner on Gould Street closest to Rochdale Road, with homes hopefully ready for occupation by the end of 2023.

The residential tower is likely to be the last piece of the development to be built, towards the end of the current decade.

Nick Lake, asset manager at MCR Property Group, said: “Our vision for this site has been a labour of love over the past few years.

“Our ambitious proposals for The Gasworks New Town realise the development potential of a key city centre location and the aspirations for the Northern Gateway.

“We have worked in close collaboration with Manchester City Council to bring forward a major transformative development that will create a new beating heart of a community in close proximity to the city centre. We look forward to finalising the formal planning application in line with public feedback.”

Matthew Hard, associate director of WSP, said: “The Northern Gateway is one of the region’s most important areas for regeneration, and we’re proud to support MCR Property Group’s ambitions for this new neighbourhood.

“New green spaces and new pedestrian and cycle routes will help transform this site and provide a catalyst and exemplar for the rest of the Northern Gateway.”