Plans to replace historic warehouse with 750 homes had been recommended for approval by planning officers
Simpson Haugh’s plans to replace a historic Manchester warehouse with a 50-storey residential scheme have been unanimously refused following a flood of objections from locals.
Manchester city council’s planning committee voted against a recommendation for approval by planning officers to reject the 750-home Stocktons development yesterday evening.
Designed for developer Liquid Funding Business, the scheme would consist of a 50-storey tower containing 552 homes and a 24-storey block with 200 homes. All homes in the scheme would be built-to-rent with both buildings also containing co-working space, residents’ amenities including a gym and a small amount of retail space.
The 0.73ha site is located in the New Islington area just east of Manchester city centre on the site of the former Stocktons furniture showroom, a series of interconnected warehouses dating to around 1900.
Part of a wider former industrial district, the warehouses neighbour an older warehouse built in the 1830s, believed to have formed part of an iron foundry complex, which has been adapted and reused.
Planning officers said the Stocktons site, which has been earmarked for regeneration, was considered to have “medium-low significance” due to its “simple and utilitarian” external appearance.
However, officers praised a series of highly decorative original features in parts of the site, including an original 1900s staircase in an office block, original radiators, teak flooring and original roof trusses and skylights.
The planning application has been hit by a total of 133 public objections against just two comments in support, with opposition focused on concerns over loss of daylight to surrounding homes and the proposed demolition of the Stocktons warehouse, which locals said would erode the character of the area.
Objectors also raised concerns about the “pastiche modernism” of the proposed tower blocks and the “canyon-like ‘wall’ effect” which the tall buildings would create.
One member of the public said: “The proposed plans show two massive towers with the smaller of the two being of a similar height to the current tallest building in the area and the larger being far taller than anything else nearby.”
Another said: “We are not just numbers on a spreadsheet or dots on a visualisation map. We are people with homes, families, and rights. And we will hold the Council accountable if it permits this developer-led scheme to override the basic standards of liveability that Manchester claims to champion.”
The project team includes cost consultant Artal, landscape architect Re-form, structural engineer Renaissance, MEP engineer Futurserv, daylight consultant GIA and planning consultant Turley.
The scheme is the latest in a string of tower schemes in Manchester designed by Simpson Haugh which include the UK’s tallest tower outside London, the 76-storey Viadux 2 scheme, which was approved last year.
SimpsonHaugh has been approached for comment.
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