A new cluster of high-rise buildings set to transform the area near Piccadilly is 'expected' to include a substantial number of 'affordable' flats, Manchester Council says.
The proposed high-rise district, set to rise on the site of Diecast on Store Street, has been outlined in a strategic regeneration framework (SRF) that was released for public consultation this week.
Under the council's vision, the current entertainment venue, occupying what was once the Presbar Diecastings factory, will be razed to make way for eight new towers. These are expected to house 1,400 residences, alongside 'significant' hotel facilities, 12,000 square metres of office space, 6,500 square metres of retail areas, and a dedicated spot for the Diecast venue.
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During a council meeting where the plan was confirmed, opposition councillors John Leech and Anastasia Wiest pressed Labour leaders to commit to making 284 out of the 1,400 residential units 'affordable'. This request aligns with the council's existing policy, which mandates developers to allocate 20% of their housing as affordable if the project is projected to yield at least a 20% profit margin.
Becca Heron, the council's strategic director of growth, stated that the council 'expects 20% affordable' housing within the development.
She further clarified: "That is appraised in the planning process. The consideration of affordability will come at the planning stage, but it's clear the policy expectation is that 20% will be affordable."
The final plans detailing the number of affordable housing units are likely to take years to be revealed, as the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) is yet to receive formal approval. Once it does, a private developer will need to apply for planning permission in accordance with the council's vision outlined in the SRF, which permits a skyscraper of up to 50 storeys on Store Street.
Only then will an independent assessment be conducted to determine the feasibility of constructing affordable units at the site, effectively confirming whether less expensive homes will be introduced to the location.
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This is the current stage for an application to construct a 50-storey 'residential tower' and a 25-storey office and apartment block on the former site of Stockton's furniture store, which also falls under the wider 'East Village' SRF encompassing Diecast.
However, developers LFB have stated in their application that all 758 homes are earmarked for 'market housing', indicating no provision for affordable housing.
During the meeting, Labour councillor Gavin White highlighted that more affordable housing is being built in the area. A project to transform a grade-II listed former showroom into offices and 89 affordable flats, including 31 available for social rent, is due to open on Laystall Street in 2026, adjacent to Diecast.
Council leader Bev Craig stated that the authority's 'ambition' for affordable housing exceeds the 20% target. She informed the meeting that it's 'more akin to what's in the 2022 housing strategy where around 30% [of planned new homes] are affordable, and we are on track to deliver that'.
The council is also overseeing other affordable schemes such as This City and Project 500. In January, leaders launched plans to construct 700 affordable homes across Manchester.