Manchester lines 24-storey Cornbrook tower up for approval
Forshaw Land & Property’s largest project to date features 224 apartments and an 87-bedroom aparthotel.
Manchester City Council’s planning team has earmarked the £70m development for approval ahead of its June committee meeting next Friday.
Designed by Leach Rhodes Walker, the development would be built on a vacant site off Cornbrook Road on the fringe of the Peel-owned Pomona Island, rebranded by the developer as Manchester Waters.
The 24-storey apartment tower would provide 70 one-bedroom homes, 151 with two bedrooms, a pair of three-bedroom flats, and a duplex. None of the flats will be affordable.
The four-storey aparthotel would be operated in-house under Forshaw’s Vivere Aparthotels brand.
Amenity spaces planned within the development include a games room, communal coworking spaces, a private dining room, a yoga studio, and a residents’ gym.
The owner of VOX, a residential development nearby, has submitted numerous objections to the scheme on behalf of residents including concerns about how the project will impact the amount of daylight residents can expect.
However, planning officers have concluded that there would be “no unduly harmful impacts” on nearby homes and businesses.
Forshaw bought a plot in Cornbrook from Peel Waters, as revealed by Place North West, before lodging plans for its redevelopment earlier this year.
Bricks Group and Peel Waters had previously been delivering the project, with Marriott lined up to operate the scheme.
The earlier iteration of the scheme, approved by Manchester City Council in 2021, comprised a 154-bedroom hotel and an 88-bedroom aparthotel and across two blocks of 11 and 15 storeys.
Lichfields is the planning consultant advising Forshaw. Top learn more about the scheme, search for reference number 139133/FO/2024 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
The 24-storey apartment tower would provide 70 one-bedroom homes,…
… “None of the flats will be affordable.”
At least the journalism is honest!
By Anonymous
Had a flick through the planning report. Looks pretty dire – just one hulking slab of brick. Massing needs to be broken up. Half of the apartments front onto Chester Road. Who in their right mind wants to live with a living/kitchen window onto a dual carriageway? Why are MCC approving stuff like this? Where is the art of town planning and consideration to residential amenity? I give up.
By js1000
If they won’t be affordable they will be empty
By Anonymous
Pomona Island is so much better than the bland Manchester Waters.
By Tom
Chester Road is an absolute mess. That is the thoroughfare which introduces people to Manchester from that side of the city, and it is ugly, contains dreary buildings and shows yet again that Manchester just can’t do attractive roads. This should be a continuum through to Deansgate. Great Ancoats street is an embarrassment too. Is there anybody in MCC planning department with any vision?
By Elephant
24 storeys seems small for a prime site near a major transport hub and the city centre. Would like to see 40 here
By Giant Skyscraper Fan
What a beast, this wont age well, planners should have said half the bulk and make it higher to compensate, that way the poor residents of VOX are happy and we get a more graceful building providing the same amount of homes.
By GetItBuilt!
Looks good decent scale and n ie brick cladding
By Anonymous
“None of the flats will be affordable “
By Anon
There isn’t enough parking, cars will end up parked all over the streets as always happens
By Anonymous