New flats and hotel set for Manchester’s Northern Quarter despite objections

An old shoe shop and former warehouse will make way for the new city centre developments if approved.
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Two developments in Manchester’s Northern Quarter could be given the go ahead next week. A 10-storey aparthotel in Oldham Street and a five-storey block of flats nearby in Spear Street are due to be decided by the planning committee on Thursday (19 January).

Plans for the 117-bedroom aparthotel involve partly demolishing the former United Footwear store – although the facade would be retained – and the buildings behind it along Warwick Street. A warehouse building in Spear Street would also be converted with a three-storey rooftop extension proposed. The development dubbed Larard’s Still would have a mix of two, three and four-person serviced apartments and feature a guest lounge with a kitchen, gym and offices on the ground floor and basement. Developer Jadebricks promised the plans would ‘breathe new life’ into the Northern Quarter site.

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However, one objector described the design as ‘hideous’. Seven letters of objection have been received in relation to the application, raising concerns about the impact on historic buildings around it, including The Castle Hotel. Manchester town hall planners have supported the scheme which is predicted to attract 85,000 visitors a year, bringing with them £7.2m of spending. The 22-month construction programme is expected to create 155 jobs a year.

Further down Spear Street, a five-storey block of flats could be built on land where the former Crosby and Walker warehouse stood before it was demolished in 2009. The planning application for this site, which was originally submitted in 2017, was for an eight-storey building with 11 apartments.

However, the proposal was reduced in height to address the impact the block would have on light reaching neighbouring buildings. The latest design features six flats including a two-bedroom duplex with a private roof terrace.

Land at Spear Street in Manchester\'s Northern Quarter where a five-storey block of flats is planned. Credit: Falconer Chester Hall. Land at Spear Street in Manchester\'s Northern Quarter where a five-storey block of flats is planned. Credit: Falconer Chester Hall.
Land at Spear Street in Manchester\'s Northern Quarter where a five-storey block of flats is planned. Credit: Falconer Chester Hall.

Manchester city council received 17 letters of objection to the proposal, but most of them related to the original eight-storey scheme. The three more recent objections relate to the design of the building and the impact that the construction of the new block would have on neighbouring residents.

Councillors on the planning committee will consider both applications at their next meeting on Thursday (19 January). Planning officers have supported both.