Proposals for two significant developments in Manchester will be revisited next week, igniting further debate among local officials and community members. The projects involve a contentious residential tower on Great Ancoats Street and plans to redevelop the Chorlton Cross shopping precinct. Both items were deferred during the last planning meeting on November 21, 2023, allowing councillors to conduct site visits before the upcoming discussions on December 18, 2023.
The proposed residential complex on Great Ancoats Street consists of two towers, standing at 25 and 50 storeys tall, and aims to provide a total of 752 homes. Critics have expressed strong discontent, with some branding the design as “another unimaginative cereal box.” Sam Wheeler, a Labour councillor for Piccadilly, voiced his frustration, stating, “I do not think I have seen a proposal brought forward with utter contempt for councillors in the area, for residents, and for the council’s policies.” He emphasized that the plans exceed the previously established height limit outlined by the strategic regeneration framework drafted by SimpsonHaugh, which capped developments in the area at 45 storeys.
Opposition to the redevelopment of the Chorlton Cross shopping precinct is equally intense. The developer, PJ Livesey, intends to build 262 flats, along with a new maker’s yard and commercial spaces on the site of the existing 1970s structure. During the last meeting, campaigners from the ‘Save Chorlton Centre’ initiative expressed their concerns about the density of the proposed project. Jackie Lindsay, a spokesperson for the campaign, highlighted that the new buildings would be “172% denser than the high-density limit for district centres,” characterizing the development as “massively overbearing.” She described it as “a huge gated community more suited for the city centre than neighbourhood centres,” calling the resulting street a “street going nowhere.”
Both planning applications are currently recommended for approval despite the vocal opposition. Following the deferral, councillors are expected to re-evaluate these proposals during the upcoming session.
Another item that will be discussed is a proposal to retain a marquee used for weddings and religious events at the British Muslim Heritage Centre in Whalley Range. This application has also been deferred for a site visit, but city officers have recommended that councillors refuse the request.
The agenda for the December meeting will also include other developments, such as an extension in Abraham Moss and plans to demolish a former garage on Seymour Road in Crumpsall to make way for a new community, education, and commercial building. Additionally, a proposal for new sports facilities at Wythenshawe Park aims to create two artificial football pitches, a multi-use games area, a skate park, and a new pavilion complete with a café and changing rooms.
As the discussions approach, community members and local officials brace for what is anticipated to be another heated exchange over the future of these significant developments in Manchester.
