Construction Halted on Luxury Manchester Buildings After Developer’s Arrest

The complex is comprised of two towers, one 15 stories tall, the other 35, overlooking the River Irwell.

24 February 2020 | Manchester, United Kingdom

Work has stalled at a £70 million (US$90 million) luxury development to build “twin towers” on the border of Manchester and Salford, led by Liverpool development firm Elliot Group.

The Residence, which is the firm’s first development in Manchester is comprised of two towers, one 15 stories tall, the other 35, overlooking the River Irwell.

Featured Buildings

The Residence (Complex)

The Residence Irwell Tower

The Residence Greengate Tower 1

Work on the scheme began in 2017, with the development firm had originally planned to open its doors to residents at the end of 2018.

However, the developer has confirmed it has “called a moratorium” on the project, following the arrest of its owner in December 2019. This follows a moratorium on two schemes in Liverpool, also being developed by Elliot Group, as previously reported by CTBUH.

Elliot Lawless was arrested along with Liverpool council regeneration chief Nick Kavanagh on suspicion of fraud. Lawless has strongly denied the allegations.

In a statement, an Elliot Group spokesperson said “We have called a moratorium while we finalize funding for the project’s build-out, a task that has been made more difficult, of course, by the police’s ongoing investigation.”

The firm said it is writing to the scheme’s original investors to ask that they bring forward final payments to enable the project’s completion.

“Institutional funds are waiting for the investigation’s conclusion before re-engaging with us,” the developer added.

In December 2019, officers swooped on a plush city center apartment before confirming a 32-year-old man and a 50-year-old city council worker had been arrested on suspicion of a range of fraud, bribery, corruption and misconduct offenses, the Echo reported.

The 50-year-old man, Kavanagh, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and misconduct in a public office, while Lawless was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, bribery and corruption.

Lawless has since strenuously denied the allegations and neither he nor the council official have been charged with any offense, with both subject to an investigation by Merseyside Police. Kavanagh has not commented publicly since his arrest.

In January 2020, it was revealed the Elliot Group has agreed with contractors Vermont to suspend work on two projects in Liverpool, but the developer stressed that work “remain[ed] ongoing” at all other live sites.

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