The report of the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing is attached.

The application was for the erection of a part 8 and 9-storey building located on Arundel Street and Worsley Street, a part 11 and 23-storey residential building located on the Mancunian Way, and refurbishment and conversion of the existing DOT Building to form 355 residential apartments in total (Use Class C3a) together with commercial uses (Use Classes A1, A2, B1, D1 and D2) along with associated car parking, cycle parking, access, landscaping and other associated work. At present the site included the 4-storey DOT building fronting Ellesmere Street and a single storey gym on Arundel Street. It was divided into two plots by Balmforth Street, an un-adopted highway. An area of green space at the top of Balmforth Street contains trees.

The site was within the Castlefield Conservation Area and the listed buildings nearby included: Church of St George (Grade II*); Churchyard walls, gate, piers and gates at Church of St George (Grade II); Former Canal Flour Mills (Grade II); Hulme Lock Branch Canal (Grade II); Castlefield railway Viaduct Manchester Central to Dawson Street (Grade II); Rochdale Canal lock number 92 and Castle Street Bridge (Grade II); Merchants warehouse (Grade II); Middle Warehouse at former Castlefield goods yard (Grade II); Bridgewater canal offices (Grade II); 215-219 Chester Road (Grade II); Former Campfield Market Hall (Grade II); Former LNWR goods transfer shed (Grade II); and Former Liverpool Road station goods warehouse (Grade II).

The site had been the subject of a previous application. That had been refused in October 2018 ((Minute PH/18/91) for the reason that the erection of a 35 storey tower and 10 storey building would, by virtue of its siting, scale and appearance result in a form of development that would be overly dominate and would harm the form, character and setting of the Castlefield Conservation Area and the setting of the adjacent Grade II* listed former St George's Church.

The Committee considered the report submitted by the Head of Planning, Building Control and Licensing as well as further Late Representations presented to the meeting. Those representations included the views of a Hulme Ward councillor who supported and welcomed the application, and those of a Deansgate Ward councillor who objected that the application would harm the form, character and setting of the Castlefield Conservation Area and the setting of the adjacent grade II* listed former St George’s Church. Reference was made to the need for an informative to be imposed on any planning permission to address the need to safeguard aviation from high cranes during construction. The representations also recommended an additional condition be applied to any consent to prevent the residential accommodation being used as serviced apartments/apart hotels or similar uses.

Councillor Igbon, another of the Hulme Ward councillors, spoke in objection to the application. She welcomed the way that the developer had worked with and consulted with the local community to result in a set of proposals that were considered to be much improved on earlier schemes for the site. She also was grateful that there would be community facilities included within the proposals and expressed a wish that any affordable housing arising from the proposed Section 106 agreement was also in the Hulme Ward. However, she expressed concern for the loss of light and views for the residents of Arundul Street and Worsley Street and therefore asked the committee to refuse the application.

A representative of the applicant addressed the Committee. He spoke of the way that the applicant had worked to improve the size and design of the proposal after the earlier scheme for the same site was refused consent in 2018, and of the dialogue there had been with the Britannia Basin Community Forum since then. He outlined all the ways that the proposals had changed and evolved since October 2018 and how the design and materials now being proposed were of high quality and influenced by the buildings in the vicinity and within the Conservation Area. He also explained how the construction plan would make provision for vehicles to access and egress the site with minimum disruption to local residents.

The officer’s report explained how this application was significantly different to those previously presented. The key changes being:

·         the tower element (building 2) had been reduced from 35 storeys to 23 storeys to minimise the impact on the listed building and the adjacent residential properties;

·         change in material and composition of the tower element from a linear glass tower to a simple brick frame with punched window reveals to respond to the characteristics of the conservation area;

·         reduction in the height of building 1 from 10 storeys to 8/9 storeys;

·         increased active frontages to Worsley Street, Arundel Street and Ellesmere Street with commercial frontages; and

·         Worsley Street would benefit from enhanced public realm improvement including street trees and furniture. Ellesmere Street and Arundel Street would also have improvements to the public realm including trees and planters where possible.

In considering the application, the Committee welcomed the way that the applicant had significantly improved this scheme over that which had previously been refused. They also welcomed the wider public realm improvement that would be brought about, and the contribution to affordable housing that the development would make. A concern was expressed about the possible darkening of the surrounding streets during the construction and it was therefore agreed that a condition should be added to the consent to ensure a scheme of mitigation had been agreed to address the loss of street lighting in those street prior to the development commencing.

Decision

Minded to approve subject to: the conditions and reasons set out in the report; the further condition and informative set out in the Late Representations; a condition on street lighting during the construction; and the signing of a section 106 agreement in respect of financial contribution for off-site affordable housing and review mechanism.