Liquid Funding Business wanted to put towers on furniture shop site
The 50 storey tower was planned for the Stockton’s furniture store site(Image: SimpsonHaugh for LFB via planning portal)
Councillors have rejected plans for a Manchester city centre skyscraper for the first time in years – slamming designs that included ‘fancy yoga studios’ but no affordable flats.
Developers Liquid Funding Business (LFB) wanted to build 50 and 25-storey towers where Stockton’s furniture shop, on Great Ancoats Street, has stood for generations.
The 750-flat proposal was first debated in November, when councillors deferred making a final decision to investigate its potential impacts on light on the neighbouring Oxygen tower.
Neighbours argued their expected light loss ‘is so substantial they will rely on artificial light for much of the day’, telling councillors on Thursday (January 15) ‘it’s not unreasonable for new schemes to respond and overwhelm’.
LFB representatives hit back in the town hall meeting saying: “The critical point is the resultant natural light on the affected windows will be broadly [in line] with city centre locations as benchmarked.”
Light was not LFB’s only issue. Coun Sam Wheeler revealed the scheme is set to make a £13m loss, so there was little chance affordable flats would be built.
He also consistently pointed out LFB’s plans failed to meet Manchester council’s ‘strategic regeneration framework’ (SRF), a blueprint for the area. He said: “This development breaks the SRF in three key ways.
“Firstly, it states the upper limit will not exceed 45 storeys… with the majority being lower. Two buildings of 25 and 50 storeys is over-development.
“Secondly, the SRF calls for integration. The development defies the laws of economics but it cannot defy the laws of physics.
“Great Ancoats Street has illegal levels of pollution. The evidence is if you build a canyon, pollution will stay at street level.
“Thirdly, the SRF calls for a socially diverse neighbourhood. The minimum rent level does not permit this, and a lack of affordable housing breaks Manchester’s housing policy aims and this SRF specifically.”
Those problems could have been resolved earlier, fellow Piccadilly politician Jon-Connor Lyons said, but developers failed to meet with him before they requested planning permission.
“In my eight years as a councillor, that has never happened before,” he remarked.
LFB’s absence of affordable housing drew ire from councillors on the planning committee, with Richard Kilpatrick noting there was still room for ‘podcast studios, a spa, and a games room’
Angela Gartside told developers: “We should not be seeing fancy yoga rooms. We should be seeing affordable housing.”
How the new skyscrapers set to be built where Stockton’s furniture is on Great Ancoats Street could have looked (Image: Liquid Funding Business)
Although the bid was rejected unanimously by the committee, for breaching the SRF and causing light loss, LFB can still amend the proposal and try again on the same spot.
Earlier in the planning meeting, another long-running-row was resolved, as a plan was drawn up to allow a mosque to retain a marquee.
Neighbours have complained about the British Muslim Heritage Centre (BMHC) marquee on College Road, Whalley Range, for years. They say events hosted there, like weddings, generate excessive noise.
But regulars pointed out the grade-II listed building has ‘come back to life’ by BMHC, and its future is only guaranteed if a planned £34m restoration goes ahead – something reliant on income from the marquee.
Councillors allowed the marquee to remain open for another 18 months on the conditions acoustic testing takes place, a new management plan is drawn up, and a liaison group is established.
