Tall & Urban News

Cricketer-turned-developer Andrew Flintoff of Logik Developments, along with architects SimpsonHaugh, unveiled a new-look scheme for the site on Arundel Street in the Manchester’s Castlefield district. An earlier proposal for a 35-story tower and 10-floor sister block was thrown out by Manchester City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee last October.

Councilors ruled that the scheme “would overly dominate and harm the form, character and setting of the Castlefield Conservation Area and the setting of the adjacent Grade II-listed former St George’s Church.”

Although Historic England did not raise an objection to the original plans, a 638-name petition and 47 individual complaints were received. Concerns raised included perceived overdevelopment and impact on views of the church, which now contains luxury apartments.

After talks with local residents and significant redesign work, revised plans will be showcased at a consultation event in Hulme.

The main tower has been scaled down to 23 stories and the overall number of apartments in the scheme reduced from 386 to 355. The tower’s position has been altered to reflect local concerns. Other changes include provisions for landscaping and improved public access to the Bridgewater Canal.

SimpsonHaugh founding partner Rachel Haugh said: “We greatly enjoyed the process of consultation and design development explored with the Britannia Basin Community Forum. The outcome is a proposed built form, landscape and pedestrian experience which we believe will contribute positively to the area.”

A spokeswoman for the Britannia Basin Community Forum said: “The collaborative approach with SimpsonHaugh has been successful to date, and we are hopeful of a design that contributes significantly to the community as a whole.”

The latest proposals join a line of SimpsonHaugh schemes in Manchester. In October, the practice unveiled plans for a 21-story hotel a stone’s throw from its landmark 47-story Beetham Tower and Manchester City Council last year approved its transformation of the Great Northern Warehouse area of the city.

For more on this story, go to Architects’ Journal.