Agenda item

Agenda item

121099/FO/2018 - Land at Portugal Street East, Manchester M1 2WX - Piccadilly Ward

The report of the Director of Planning Building Control and Licensing is enclosed.

A site visit will take place prior to the meeting.

Minutes:

The application submitted relates to the construction of two residential buildings (Use Class C3) comprising Block one (29 storeys) (224 apartments (four x one bed one person, fifty two x one bed two person, sixty four x two bed three person and one hundred and four x two bed four person) 25% one bed and 75% two bed) Block two (twenty three storeys) (264 apartments forty four x one bed  one person, forty four x one bed two person, ninety two x two bed three person and eighty four x two bed four person) (33% one bed and 67% two bed) with a linked central podium, to deliver four hundred and eighty eight units, shared amenity space, twenty seven car parking spaces, four hundred and ninety two cycle spaces, landscaping (including new public park), lighting, highways and associated works following demolition of existing buildings and structures.

 

The application was deferred at the meeting of the Planning and Highways Committee on 19 December 2019 for a site visit which, took place prior to the meeting.

 

The application relates to a 0.88 hectares site bounded by Adair Street, Portugal Street East, the Piccadilly – Ashton-under-Lyne Metrolink line / Fair Street, Longacre Street and warehousing situated between Longacre Street and Heyrod Street.

 

The planning officer did not add anything further to the report submitted.

 

Councillor Wheeler addressed the Committee in his capacity as ward Councillor (Piccadilly). Reference was made to the size and cost of the proposed development (488 units) which did not include affordable housing, a social housing contribution or S106 contribution. Councillor Wheeler stated that this was unacceptable and the applicant is asked to reconsider the level of contribution.

 

The applicant’s representative addressed the Committee on the application.

 

The Planning Officer reported with reference to affordable housing, the figures relating to this are provided in the report submitted and have been tested through an external independent organisation and verified by internal advisors and are consistent with other figures produced for the city centre. There is a clawback mechanism within the S106 agreement which will be retested at an agreed phase of the development process to check if there has been an uplift in incomes. The Committee was informed that the purchase of land to be used for public realm purposes had impacted on the profitability of the development and ability of the developer to contribute to affordable housing.

 

The Chair invited Committee members to ask questions and comments on the application.

 

 A member referred to the planting arrangements for trees as part of the development and asked if these would involve planting on the street or in planters and what the maintenance arrangements would be. Officers were also asked what similar scale buildings were in the vicinity of the development site.

 

The Planning Officer reported that any planting of trees would be in the ground and not in planters. Check would need to be made on underground services before planting to prevent damage from digging and roots. The maintenance of public realm element of the development will be under the responsibility of the Portugal Street Partnership, which the Council is a stakeholder. A resident’s service charge will include the maintenance cost for the public realm area and no public funding will be used. The Committee was informed that the Oxygen building is within the vicinity of the development and is a similar height and scale (thirty-four storeys) to the proposed development.

 

A member referred to the allocation of three disabled parking spaces in the development of the twenty-seven spaces and asked planning officer why the allocated number was only three in view of the potential number of residents and visitors to the development that may have a disability and require a parking space.

 

The planning officer reported that the development is located within the city centre and is close to other sustainable transport links. The figure of three parking spaces is proportionate to the twenty-seven spaces allocated. Additional parking needs could be met off-site. Condition 26 of the application requires a parking management strategy for residents to be approved by the Council as Local Planning Authority. An additional Condition could be added to the application to increase the number of disabled parking places that would reduce the overall number of parking spaces due to the additional space required for a disabled parking space.

 

A member made reference to the age friendly benches in Whalley Range and commended their use within the public realm area of the development.

 

Decision

 

The Committee were Minded to Approve the application, subject to:

·         A legal agreement in respect of reconciliation payment of a financial contribution towards off site affordable housing.

·         The inclusion of an additional Planning Condition requiring the increase in the number of disabled parking spaces to 50% of the spaces proposed.

Supporting documents: