Proposals for a new office campus on green space in Greater Manchester have been given the green light despite thousands of objections.
Real estate developer General Projects said its £5m plans for the large patch of grass known as New Islington Green in Ancoats would see SMEs in the tech and creative sectors move in, creating 3,600 jobs in the process.
But the application has proven to be controversial - with a 5,000-signature petition submitted to Manchester Council opposing any form of development on the plot of land.
The five-acre plot of land on Pollard Street was sold by Manchester council last year on the condition that any future development included a 'significant area of public space', according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
General Projects said a new £5m, two-acre park was a 'vital' part of the project, though most of the site will be given over to five new office buildings - three of which will be eight storeys high.
The London-based developer is hoping that small and medium-sized enterprises in the tech and creative sectors will relocate to the site and create 3,600 jobs.
But the decision to build offices on open space when people are working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic was called into question by objector Alan Good.
The Liberal Democrat campaigner, together with the Save New Islington Green campaign, asked nearly 600 residents for their views on the green and found that 94 per cent wanted it to remain untouched.
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Mr Good told the committee: "We are told this council cares what residents think, but time after time they are ignored.
"We are told this council wants to protect and expand green infrastructure, but of all the brownfield sites, council chooses public green space to flog off to developers.
"I urge the committee to make the right choice. Show people that consultation works, give people faith in the planning process."
Many leaseholders in New Islington are trapped in buildings with dangerous cladding and the green space offered 'desperately needed respite' for them, added Mr Good.
Labour councillor Emma Taylor, representing Ancoats & Beswick, also spoke against the application and stressed how important the green had become for residents during lockdown.
Concerns were also raised about the amount of green space being provided, as well as the size of the offices and their overbearing impact on neighbouring apartment buildings.
But planning officer Dave Roscoe said the green was never designated as green space and had been earmarked for development for years.
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Mr Roscoe said: "The council has established an economic recovery plan, the delivery of new infrastructure, investment and workplaces is an absolutely essential ingredient of that.
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"There is a shortage of good quality office space in Manchester."
Jacob Loftus, the founder of General Projects, insisted that the development was more than just zero-carbon office space and that the new park - equivalent to the size of eight five-a-side football pitches - would meet the needs of residents.
More pathways will be built and new trees planted, while 300 metres of the Ashton Canal will be opened up.
Mr Loftus added: "We believe this project has the potential to be transformative for east Manchester, helping to power Manchester's Covid recovery and contributing to a further levelling up of our country's economy."
In the final vote eight councillors voted in favour of the applciation, while three voted against and one abstained.
Speaking after the meeting, Jacob Loftus, founder and CEO of General Projects said: “We are thrilled to have received planning consent today, and look forward to starting to deliver an incredible, inclusive and sustainable place for business to thrive in East Manchester.
“Our desire to engage with and work collaboratively with the local community does not end here. We recognise that some of our immediate neighbours opposed our proposals and sincerely hope we can move forward positively, working together to co-create the public realm of what I want to be the most socially- impactful property development in the 海角视频.”