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Manchester Town Hall

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8:33 am, February 8, 2010
Apathy over council's Civic Quarter plans

By Simon Binns

Manchester City council only received six responses in a public consultation over plans to create 9,000 jobs and more than 5 million sq ft of new commercial space in the city's “Civic Quarter”.

The council described the response rate as “disappointing” in a report set to go before its executive next week. Only three members of the public submitted comments on the proposals, which the council said would create around £1bn of construction investment. Ernst & Young, the Environment Agency and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) also submitted their views.

Comments from members of the public were “generally positive”, particularly around the plans to redevelop Elisabeth House, although some felt it was "too similar" to the existing structure and to other buildings on Mosley Street.

The Environment Agency had no objections to the strategy, while Ernst & Young was "delighted" by the framework document, which it said addressed the issue of Spinningfields “attracting businesses away from the Civic Quarter.”

The Free Trade Hall, which submitted a letter of objection on behalf of the owners of the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, about plans to redevelop the Theatre Royal site for a building higher than 15 storeys.

“They consider that the council should withdraw any explicit or implied support for a tall building in this location pending the outcome of a full, independent, contextual urban design study which considers the case or otherwise for a tall building on the site,” said the report.

The council responded by saying the Civic Quarter Regeneration Framework was a “guide to development moving forward.” “It is not, and should not be seen as a masterplan or a blueprint and it would not be appropriate to go into the level of detail that has been suggested as it does not seek to justify in detail proposals on individual sites,” it said.

“The principle of a taller building on this site was established when planning permission was granted for a 17 storey office building on 2 June 2005.”

Comments?sbinns@crain.com