Heritage group welcomes ‘move in right direction’
GOVERNMENT heritage body Historic England has welcomed Gary Neville’s revised St Michael’s designs as ‘positive’.
The organisation had blasted his original plan earlier this year, warning its two bronze-clad skyscrapers would cause a ‘high level of harm’ to the nearby Grade I listed town hall, Central Library and surrounding conservation area.
Its intervention ultimately led to the entire scheme being changed.
Historic England’s official response to the revised plans, sent to the developers, says ‘major steps’ have been taken to address their concerns, including placing the one remaining skyscraper at the west end of the site at a different angle.
Historic England’s north west planning director Catherine Dewar said: “We are very pleased that such positive progress has been made at St Michael’s. The new masterplan still needs work but it’s getting there.
“We strongly believe that this extraordinary area of Manchester deserves a thoughtful scheme which responds to its surroundings, contributes to the neighbouring streets and welcomes people in.
“The new proposals are much closer to achieving this and have the potential to enhance the character of the Deansgate/Peter Street conservation area, rather than dominate it, as the previous scheme threatened.
“We are happy to see that the front building of the former police headquarters complex will now be kept and that the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub will be incorporated into the development because although they aren’t listed, these buildings have soul and tell important stories about our city’s past.
“We also welcome the fact that there is now only one tower which has been moved further away from the town hall, and twisted around.
“This change means it has much less of an impact on the grand civic buildings here, including the nationally-important Grade II* listed Central Library, Grade I listed town hall, and Grade I listed St Ann’s Church.
“The right development on this site could create a better environment for those who live and work in Manchester.”