Manchester’s skyline is set for a major new arrival after the news that plans to build a 52-storey skyscraper at the former Granada studios site in the city centre have been given the green light.
Plans to build 387 apartments as part of the new £1.35 billion St John’s neighbourhood were given the go ahead by the city council this week. The tallest building in Allied London’s redevelopment at St John’s will stand at 168.4 metres, which is just half a metre shorter than the iconic Beetham Tower in Manchester’s Deansgate.
Nadler Hotel plans to operate from the 18 lower storeys of the skyscraper with private rented flats in the storeys above. The 3.2-acre site around the former Granada Studios site is part of the wider 13-acre St John’s £1.3 billion regeneration project, which includes many more high rise buildings.
Four new buildings are also scheduled to be built, ranging in size from three to 51 storeys, featuring a mix of residential, leisure and workspace. It is set to include approximately 400 new flats, shops and class A office space, along with a mix of restaurants, bars and cafés. Public spaces also feature in the design, with access to rooftop gardens, riverside walkways, car and cycle parking and landscaped green spaces.
The developer now has to meet around 50 recommendations that were made by the council for the plans to go ahead, including provisions for cycling and electric vehicle charging stations. There are also provisions to be met with regard to the local labour agreement. Manchester City Council planning committee member councilor, Chris Paul, commented: “I strongly welcome this application and it is really good but I would like to see it tied in with as many job creation opportunities as we possibly can. We certainly could work in creating as many apprentices, in particular for under 24-year-olds, as is humanly possible.”
Once finished, at the end of 2018, St John’s Neighbourhood will be made up of 1,450 homes, 2.8 metre square feet of workspace, public realm, hotels, arts venues including the £110 million Factory arts centre and independent shops, cafés, and restaurants.24
