Manchester skyscrapers: Two more approved by council

Plans for three apartment blocks have been approved by councillors despite featuring no affordable accommodation.

Renaker, due to build two skyscrapers near Deansgate, will pay £500,000 for a new school and £90,000 for affordable housing elsewhere in Manchester.

Meanwhile Capital and Centric's 15-storey block of 107 flats by Piccadilly station will have a small park and bar.

Affordable housing is defined by the government as accommodation "for those whose needs are not met by the market".

Provision is often made for affordable accommodation when new developments are built.

A plan to construct 461 flats at the former Boddingtons Brewery site, next to the Manchester College campus being built in Cheetham Hill, was also approved by Manchester City Council's planning committee.

Up to 60% of the flats, which are being developed by Clarion Housing Group, would be affordable, said council planning chief Dave Roscoe.

Some 121 will be offered for social rent while 132 will be part of a shared ownership scheme, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Developer Clarion is planning to also use a grant from Homes England to deliver more affordable housing than required by the council.

Clarion's group director of development Richard Cook said: "We are thrilled to get the green light to redevelop this iconic site in Manchester.

"Delivering the Boddingtons scheme will enable us to provide a range of housing options to local people across the city.

"As well as meet a clear housing need, our proposals will create a brand-new residential community, boost the local economy and create a place that will that we believe people will want to call home for the long term."

In February, Renaker's nine-year project to build four skyscrapers with 1,950 flats in the city centre was approved by councillors.

The firm said it would make an initial contribution of £106,000 towards other affordable housing in the city and contribute £1.5m towards a new school on Crown Street.

Plans to extend Hough End leisure centre were also signed off.

Protesters shouted "shame on you" after councillors agreed on plans for a two-storey extension on adjacent playing fields in Princess Road.

Nearby residents had expressed concerns over its impact on the local environment and traffic.

A council spokeswoman said the plan had been amended to include changes to the local road network and more measures to improve local biodiversity.

Capital and Centric's development director Tom Wilmot said its plan for the block of 107 flats near Piccadilly station was expected to have a 12% profit margin.

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