Aviva greenbelt plan for old Ferranti factory rejected
Councillors on the Planning and Highways Committee at Manchester City Council have refused an application by Aviva Investors for a £37m industrial development in Wythenshawe on the site of the former Ferranti factory next to Atlas Business Park.
Half of the site is on greenfield land, previously undeveloped and being within the Greater Manchester Green Belt.
In a submission agents from Turley argued in an economic benefits statement that the proposal would provide 36,706 sqm of new industrial property that could create around 580 new jobs.
However, the project appeared doomed when planning officers recommended that the proposal should be refused: “On balance it is considered that the proposals constitute inappropriate development that is harmful to the Green Belt and very special circumstances have not been demonstrated to support the proposed development for that element of the site within the Green Belt.”
Gamecock student housing scheme (from planning documents)
Members also rejected for a third time a contentious Purpose Built Student Accommodation block in Hulme from developer Curlew.
The scheme returned to planners for a third time following refusals at two previous meetings and a vocal campaign of opposition from local residents.
A vocal Block the Block campaign in Hulme was initially successful, and received the support of local councillors and Lucy Powell MP.
Members were ‘minded to refuse’ the revised scheme in October 2022 due to the dominant visual impact and a lack of parking, and deferred a decision in July 2023 but officers now consider that there is no policy based refusal on the grounds of scale and massing that could be reasonably sustained.
Officers found no grounds to recommend the scheme be rejected but Councillors on the committee rejected the revised proposal.
The wider policy of moving students into PBSA units, thus freeing up city centre apartments, and residential neighbourhoods is tested by this scheme.
A proposal for 5 storey and 10 storey dual tower including 256 apartments and ground floor commercial premises in Ancoats by the Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester Life developer, advised by Deloitte, was approved.
