Member Article

Mulbury’s £30m Manchester apartments plan approved

· Northern Quarter PRS scheme will start on site early next year · Port Street development is Mulbury’s first in private rented sector · Design will offer larger city centre apartments

Specialist housing developer Mulbury has been given planning permission to create a high-quality apartment scheme on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The eight to 14 storey development of 134 apartments on the corner of Port Street and Great Ancoats Street will be Mulbury’s first in the private rented sector (PRS).

The scheme, which is also close to the revitalised New Islington area, was given the green light at Manchester City Council’s planning committee today (September 17).

The Lymm-based company is currently in discussions with several institutional investors interested in purchasing and letting the properties upon completion. The £30m development has been designed by Manchester-based Tim Groom Architects.

Martin Bury, a director of Mulbury, said: “This development will make a significant contribution to the regeneration of this part of the city, as well as being a flagship scheme in Manchester’s private rented sector. We’re pleased this scheme has had such widespread endorsement and look forward to breaking ground early next year.”

The development is the first for the company’s recently launched Mulbury City division which focuses on developing city centre and PRS schemes that are backed by institutional investors, private investors and overseas markets. Mulbury has plans in the pipeline for further developments in Old Trafford, Castlefield and Salford.

The 134 apartments at Port Street will range from 400 sq ft studios through to 900 sq ft three-bedroom apartments. All apartment types meet the newly adopted London Design Guide Space Standards making them around 10 per cent larger than many of the apartments currently on offer in the marketplace.

The ground floor includes reception and lobby areas as well as 6,000 sq ft of commercial office space. The upper level apartments enjoy views of the city with balconies for all units and extensive communal roof top gardens facing South West.

Tim Groom, director of Tim Groom Architects, said: “Gaining planning approval on Port Street is a significant step for the growing resurgence of Ancoats. We worked hard on the design to help knit back together what has become a disjointed and, in places, run down street scape.

“For our practice it is also great be working on such large scale developments in our home city and developing a close working relationship with Mulbury Homes and Manchester City Council as we look at further projects.”

Mulbury Homes and Tim Groom Architects have consulted with Manchester City Council, Heritage England, and Places Matter on the scheme, as well as holding a public consultation on the plans in May. Deloitte Real Estates is planning consultant on the scheme.

The development is due to start on site early in 2016 and be completed by summer 2017.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mulbury Homes .