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Manchester has given the green light to a 27-storey building and a significant revamp of a student accommodation complex.. The council's Planning and Highways Committee reviewed plans for several large developments, which will collectively bring about 1,500 new homes to the city, in their meeting on November 21.

These include a high-rise on Sparkle Street, behind Piccadilly Village, 237 apartments in Cheetham Hill, a residential development at the old Nello James building in Whalley Range, and the partial demolition and extension of Victoria Point in Ardwick. A proposal to demolish two out of six existing student accommodation buildings and extend four others on Hathersage Road has also been approved.

Empiric Student Property is set to construct a new four-storey and twelve-storey building at Victoria Point, a student apartment complex situated around the Grade II* listed Victoria Baths. The project will nearly double Victoria Point's capacity, accommodating 876 beds across 694 self-contained apartment units ranging from two to four-bedrooms.

Designs submitted by Bell Phillips and 5plus feature communal terraces and ground floor commercial space, which the applicant's agent believes will make it a 'destination' for the surrounding area.

Local residents raised 18 objections against the proposed construction of a twelve-storey building, citing concerns over loss of light and an influx of students potentially 'destabilising existing communities'. Historic England also weighed in, describing the structure as 'incongruous and conspicuous' beside the neighbouring listed baths, potentially diminishing its historical significance, reports .

However, councillors ultimately ruled that the economic advantages and the need for student housing took precedence.

In another development, plans for a towering 28-storey building on Sparkle Street have been given the green light, despite a local councillor's warning that it would 'dominate' the adjacent Piccadilly Village. The three-part complex, consisting of sections reaching 10, 27, and 28 storeys, is set to deliver 359 new apartments and is expected to contribute approximately £22.3m to the local economy.

Foras, the developers behind the project, have committed £228,000 towards affordable housing within the city, although the highrise itself will not include any affordable units.