Planning committee defers decisions on controversial city centre plans

Manchester City Council’s planning committee today (December 14) decided to defer controversial development plans focused on the university quarter.

Among the nine applications at today’s meeting were two which related to the masterplan to build student homes and commercial lab space in the Ardwick ward, bordering Upper Brook Street and part of the main Oxford Road campus.

The application proposed a six- to nine-storey Sci-Tech building with associated commercial uses, and a nine to 23-storey purpose building student accommodation building with associated commercial space. Public realm and parking would be created.

Vociferous objections included concerns over the impact on the local community.

Another application was submitted to request access rights to the Fallowfield student village site – Owens Park – which the University of Manchester, itself, wishes to demolish and create more and better quality student homes with a net increase of 950 unites, taking the total to 3,300.

Speaking out against the scheme, objectors raised fears over air pollution, and the sheer number of bed spaces proposed.

All items were recommended for approval by planning officers.

However, given the depth of feeling over the issues, councillors voted, unanimously, to propose site visits to the respective locations, before considering matters at a later committee meeting.