MANCHESTER City Council is minded to approve Chelmer Developments’ plans for a 42-storey tower at River Street in the city centre.

The tower, which has been designed by Ian Simpson architects, is set to be built on a site bordering the Mancunian Way that currently contains a part-built concrete frame.

London-based Chelmer plans to build 600 serviced apartments, meeting rooms, a restaurant, bar and shop in the building.

It will be considered by the city’s planning committee next week. Papers prepared ahead of the meeting show 11 people wrote to complain about the plans citing concerns over the scale of the tower, its “utilitarian” design, noise and parking problems. Manchester developers Property Alliance Group and Ask went on record in support of the tower.

In their guidance to councillors, planning officers said: “It is considered that a mixed use development incorporating a tall building and the proposed level of serviced apartments and commercial units would be an appropriate response to
national and local planning policy, that would promote a quality neighbourhood, economic development and sustainable travel patterns.

“The development would be linked to a wider regeneration programme that would underpin investment across a larger area supporting regeneration benefits in excess of those directly associated with the proposal.

“Whilst the proposal would have some impacts in terms of daylight/sunlight and wind at a local level it is considered that these impacts are acceptable in a city centre environment and are far outweighed by the economic and regenerative benefits that the development would bring.”

In an interview with TheBusinessDesk.com earlier this year, Chelmer Developments’ director Mike Bathurst said details of how the scheme would be funded would not be ironed out until the outcome of the planning process and the nature of any conditions attached are known.

Source: www.thebusinessdesk.com