Urban Splash adds to New Islington holdings
The developer has acquired a site on the corner of Lampwick Lane and Old Mill Street in Manchester that was previously the subject of proposals from YO Home .
Urban Splash has bought the site from YO, part of the group that operates the YO Sushi and Yotel chains, in an off-market deal more than four years after plans for its redevelopment were shelved.
Urban Splash now plans to draw up proposals for a residential scheme on the plot, creating new homes for sale or rent, as the company continues its efforts to regenerate the New Islington area.
The company has spent 20 years working in collaboration with Manchester City Council and other partners to redevelop the former Cardroom Estate into New Islington.
“New Islington is an important part of the Urban Splash story,” said director Nathan Cornish. “[It’s] a place where we’ve helped deliver a new vibrant community for Manchester.”
“This site is a natural purchase for us and an opportunity to create more new homes for the area. We look forward to exploring our options here.”
YO first put forward plans for the site in 2016.
Under proposals designed by Glenn Howells Architects, YO sought consent for 24 flats in a six-storey block next to Ancoats Dispensary.
The development would have been the company’s first as it bid to “reinvent” the city centre apartment, according to YO founder Simon Woodroofe.
The New Islington scheme featured flexible apartments with ‘day mode’ and ‘night mode’ configurations.
The concept featured a shared living and sleeping area where the seating furniture could be recessed into a void in the floor and a bed would lower down from a concealed space in the ceiling.
Manchester City Council refused the project at first, before granting the developer planning permission after a series of tweaks.
YO updated the proposals in 2018, seeking consent for an additional six apartments. However, the developer withdrew the application later that year and the site has remained vacant ever since.
