Major Ancoats scheme set for approval

Plans for a significant mixed-use development on Great Ancoats Street are set to get the green light. It is estimated the scheme could have the capacity for 3,600 workers once complete and would create hundreds of jobs during construction.The plot earmarked for for development is bounded by the Ashton Canal, Great Ancoats Street, Munday Street and Pollard Street.Under the plans, five office buildings would be constructed, comprising three eight-storey mixed use structures and two-five storey buildings. Each site would provide workspaces, as well as flexible use at the ground floor for a theatre or bar. Buildings B and C would provide affordable office space to start-ups and small and medium-sized businesses, while buildings A, D and E would be occupied by established companies. There would also be a multi-use amenity area on the rooftop of building A.Overall, the scheme could provide more than 504,000 sq ft of space, as well as 557 cycling spaces across the site.The application has attracted more than 540 objections but has been recommended for approval ahead of a Manchester City Council planning meeting next week (17 December 2020).A document filed ahead of the meeting said the project could support 3,600 jobs once operations. It would also create 700 jobs during the construction phase, with hundreds more in the supply chain, and represents and investment of £83m.Officers added that there has “been a long-standing aspiration to bring a commercial development to this site”. Planners also said the investment “comes at a critical time as the city recovers from the economic effects of the Covid 19 pandemic”.