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

The application relates to a proposal for:

•               855 homes with 33 per cent one bedroom, 60 per cent two bedroom, 6 per cent three bedroom and 1 per cent duplexes;

•               244 residents’ car parking spaces, with 24 accessible spaces  and 24 spaces with electric vehicle charging points (EVCs) (10% provision);

•               A public car park with 389 spaces in a three level basement, including 19 accessible spaces (5%) and future proofing for EVCs should the demand arise;

•               855 cycle storage spaces;

•               A 0.5ha (hectare) public park;

•               Two retail units facing into the public park;

•               Ancillary residential amenity space including a private roof terrace and gym;

•               A single form entry primary school. Outline planning permission is sought for this part of the development;

•               A soft landscape zone to the west of the development;

•               A wide lawn and tree planting area located to the south of the development;

•               A pedestrian link along Silvercroft Street leading to Great Jackson Street and beyond;

•               A shared pedestrian and cycling route along the eastern edge of the public park;

•               Infrastructure improvements, such as raised tables, to promote pedestrian connectivity the Crown Street Phase 1 development;

•               A servicing road that would run around the perimeter of the site.

The application is a phased hybrid application seeking full planning permission and outline planning permission.  Full planning permission comprises three phases:

Phase A: a 52 storey building (building C4), comprising 414 homes, a perimeter servicing and access route, public realm, including partial delivery of a public park and landscaping, and a private residential basement car park.

Phase B: a 52 storey building (building C5), comprising 441 homes, a perimeter servicing and access route, public realm, including delivery of the remaining area of public park and landscaping, and a private residential basement car park.

Phase D: A three storey, publically accessible, basement car park.

Outline planning permission with all matters reserved is sought for:

Phase C: A 3 storey single entry primary school with outdoor play facilities on the roof, between these buildings and Crown Street Phase 1.

The towers would be linked by a two storey podium that would be situated on the south eastern part of the site. The buildings would look out onto the public park on the north western part of the site. The podium would accommodate double height concierge spaces for each tower, with access from the park, with a lounge and amenity space, including a gym and sauna. The podium would accommodate two double height retail units fronting the park. The towers would begin at second floor with a residents’ garden on the roof space of the podium between them.  There would be amenity space comprising flexible spaces, such as meeting rooms and private dining areas, looking out on to and with access to the residents’ garden.  The top two levels of each tower would each accommodate four three-bed duplexes.  The roof top of each tower would have a building maintenance unit screened by the same elevational treatment as the floors below.

The applicant’s agent attended the meeting and addressed the Committee.

The Chair invited the Committee to comment and ask questions.

Members of the Committee welcomed the proposal, in particular the inclusion of a park, medical facility and a school building which would help to promote and support sustainable living for residents living in the city centre.

A member referred to the construction management plan and asked officers if the plan is sufficiently robust to protect the quality of life of residents in neighbouring areas in Hulme and Castlefield.

The Committee were advised that the scale of the construction site is large enough to include a concrete production site which would mean that there will be no vehicles carrying concrete to the site. The developer involved has been constructing buildings within the city centre over a number of years and uses a tried and tested management plan which had so far resulted in no complaints being received. 

A councillor proposed the approval of the application and the Committee gave this their support.

Decision

To approve the application, subject to the conditions and reasons set out in the report submitted and the Late Representations submitted.