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Planners 'minded to approve' Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs' £200m scheme

St Michael's Pub street viewSt Michael's
Planners said the scheme's benefits would "outweigh" the harm "to the historic environment"

Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs' plans for a £200m scheme in Manchester have been backed by council officers, despite the "significant harm" they could cause.

The ex-footballers' scheme centres around a new tower in Jackson's Row.

The development was revised in July 2017 after criticism from conservation groups including Historic England (HE).

Planning officers said Manchester City Council should be "minded to approve" as the benefits would "outweigh" any damage "to the historic environment".

Google Albert Memorial in ManchesterGoogle
HE said it was concerned about the impact the tower would have on the city's Albert Memorial

HE had objected to the original St Michael's scheme, which included two skyscrapers and the demolition of the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub, on the grounds that it would "erase" the area's history.

A spokesman said although the public body was unable to support the revised application on "heritage grounds", it acknowledged the "wider benefits the scheme will bring".

He added that the greatest impact would be on the Grade I-listed Albert Memorial in Albert Square, as the tower would rise immediately behind it, "changing the appreciation" of the architecture and silhouette of the statue.

Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville
Ryan Giggs (left) and Gary Neville revised their plan in July 2017 after it was criticised

Planning officers said more than 1,500 objections and a petition with 4,000 signatures were received about the original scheme, but that number had reduced to 173 for the revised plan.

They said the former Manchester United stars' development would, in some cases, be "harmful to the historic environment", but the scheme's benefits "would outweigh the significant harm that would occur".

The approval would be subject to any comments from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid, as councils are required to notify the government of planning applications which meet certain circumstances, such as being close to listed buildings.

The government has the power to call in, or take over, planning decisions from local authorities.

The plans will be discussed by the council's planning and highways committee on 8 March.