The first phase of a £1.4n development to “transform” the area behind Manchester Piccadilly station has been given the green light.
Manchester city council today approved plans to start work on the first aspects of the mixed-use Mayfield neighbourhood, which will give the city its first new public park in more than 100 years.
Mayfield Partnership, comprised of developer U+I, London and Continental Railways, Manchester city council and Transport for Greater Manchester, submitted plans in October 2019.
The private-public partnership sought planning permission for six acres of park space with 146 trees as well as a nine-storey, 70,000 sq ft office building and a 581-space, 11-storey car park
A further application for a ‘flagship’ 13-storey mixed-use office building was submitted in November, which the council also approved.
Councillors unanimously supported the application.
Committee member Coun Jon-Connor Lyons said: “This is a fantastic application for a great amenity and a development that will protect our city’s heritage too.
“I must praise the consultation - you rarely see young people being involved to such a high level.”
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Coun Mary Watson added: “The addition of the new park - the first for many years in the city - means this is a tremendous day.”
U+I said it expects work on the site to begin in the autumn.
The wider development is set to deliver 14 acres of public realm, 1,500 new homes, 1.7m sq ft of office space, shops, a 650-bed hotel and a car park opposite Manchester Piccadilly Station.
Richard Upton, chief development officer at U+I, said: “Mayfield is already making a major impression, welcoming 330,000 people through its doors in 2019 and generating over £10m for the local economy.
“Mayfield has lain derelict for over 30 years; this resolution to grant planning is the first step to realising the potential of this iconic site as we create an inclusive, diverse and socially and economically productive neighbourhood for businesses, residents and visitors.
“The scheme will create over 10,000 office, retail, leisure and construction jobs.”
The site is currently home to cultural venue Depot Mayfield, host of events including Manchester Pride and Warehouse Project, which opened last Summer and will run for the next five years
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Mr Upton added: “Mayfield will be one of the 海角视频’s defining urban developments this decade.
“These plans for the first phase bring together exceptional new workplaces with cultural space, centred on a beautifully landscaped park that will provide a transformative and sustainable public amenity for the people of Manchester long into the future.”
He continued: “From welcoming tens of thousands of visitors every week at one of the 海角视频’s best new cultural venues – Depot Mayfield – to the range of enterprises that already call Mayfield home, this long-dormant area is already playing an active role in the city’s life once again.
“When work begins this year, we will channel that energy into the soulful regeneration of Mayfield to create an inclusive, diverse, socially and economically productive neighbourhood which will attract businesses, residents and visitors, all drawn by the quality and vibrancy of the environment.”
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester city council, added: “The Mayfield scheme will deliver real improvements and opportunities for Manchester’s people.
“Not only will it create a significant new city centre green space for people to enjoy – something which was integral to the masterplanning of this development – but it will also deliver thousands of new jobs, transforming an unloved and largely underused part of the city centre into a world-class gateway.”