New Manchester city centre car park planned in Mayfield makeover could be taken down after it’s built

A new multi-storey car park planned in Manchester city centre could be taken down after it’s built if it’s no longer needed. The ‘greener’ car park has been given a makeover in fresh plans put forward for the Mayfield development.

The scheme, which includes building two new office blocks, is now set to be ‘more sustainable’ after a rethink by the developer following the pandemic. The multi-storey car park will now be one of the city’s largest cycle hubs with around 450 spaces, lockers and shower facilities, if the changes are approved.

The number of car parking spaces will be cut from 581 to 487, with up to half of them to be fitted with electric vehicle chargers. The upper floors of the car park would sit above a two-storey concrete plinth accommodating cafés, bars, restaurants and event spaces – and according to planning documents, they can be ‘demounted’ if and when the multi-storey car park is no longer needed.

This means the car park can be repurposed in the future, allowing for a new building on the plot later down the line. The bottom floors of the car park will also feature a series of brick arches, mirroring those nearby at Mayfield Depot.

The new application says: “This amendment improves the future adaptability of the structure, allowing it to be demounted and erected off site or easily recycled, should this be necessary in the future. This allows the building to easily adapt to changing needs of the private car in the future. If the full system build was to be deconstructed in the future, a new building could be delivered on top of the concrete podium structure to minimise the need for additional embodied carbon. The need for piling foundations is removed due to the building now being embedded within the bedrock below ground.”

In addition to the new car park, the plans for 320,000 sq ft of office space across two new buildings called The Poulton and The Republic will now be aiming for 600kg CO2 per m2 making them one of the most sustainable new office buildings in the city, the developer says. An additional three-acres of public space will extend Mayfield Park to the surrounding buildings with new landscaped areas, additional tree-planting, ecology and rain gardens planned.

The buildings were originally granted planning permission by Manchester council in 2020. Since then, the 6.5-acre Mayfield Park opened nearby.

The plans have been brought forward by the Mayfield Partnership, a public-private venture made up of LandsecU+I, Manchester council, Transport for Greater Manchester and placemaking and regeneration specialist LCR. If the new plans are approved, the first phase of work would begin later this year.

LandsecU+I development director Laura Percy said: “Our updated proposals for a cleaner, greener and future-focused Mayfield phase one embrace the profound changes we’ve seen in recent years to the way we work, travel, and how highly we now value wellness and nature.

“Since then, Mayfield has contributed a beautiful new public park in the heart of Manchester. We believe Mayfield has the right mix to improve the quality of life for those who come here now, and for future generations.”