A number of key applications are going before councillors
06:37, 25 Jul 2025Updated 07:35, 25 Jul 2025
An artist’s impression of how the first lot of homes will look(Image: Copyright Unknown)
A new neighbourhood next to the Mancunian Way with hundreds of new apartments and shops restaurants has moved a step closer to becoming a reality after plans were recommended for approval by council officers.
Last week, work got underway on the first office blocks as part of the huge planned overhaul of the Mayfield area, between Piccadilly station and the city centre flyover.
The first residential scheme as part of the blueprint for the area is due to go before the council’s planning committee next Thursday (July 31).
It includes plans for more than 850 new apartments including two tower blocks more than 20-storeys high.
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Council officers say it will ‘remove an underused site’, ‘have a positive impact on the regeneration of the area’ and ‘contribute to the supply of high-quality homes’ as they recommended it for approval.
The final decision will be made at next week’s town hall meeting.
A number of other notable applications will be also decided upon, included for new youth facilities in south Manchester and dozens of new homes on the site of a former pub near the Etihad Stadium.
Here is a detailed rundown…
New neighbourhood at Mayfield
Artist impressions of how the Mayfield towers will look(Image: Copyright Unknown)
The application, brought forward by developer Landsec, is for 879 new homes in four buildings, including two towers 23 and 28 storeys high.
The rental apartments would be a mix of one, two and three-bedrooms. There would also be commercial spaces on the upper and lower ground floors, including restaurant and retail units and gym and sports facilities.
The four acre site is bounded by the Mancunian Way, Mayfield Park, Hoyle Street.
Permission for the first phase of the development at Mayfield was granted in February 2020 with the new park in the area completed in 2022.
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Work on a 13-storey office building, The Republic, which was also approved as part of those plans, has begun, and work on the remainder of that first phase will begin later this year or early next year.
In their report, council officers say the latest scheme would ‘bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits’ and would ‘develop a vacant, brownfield site which has negative impact on visual amenity’.
Documents accompanying the application state ‘would not be viable for the proposal to support affordable housing’.
Council officers say in their report to the committee that say they are minded to approve subject to the signing of a Section 106 agreement with which would include a mechanism to review the position regarding affordable housing at a later date.
New Lidl store in north Manchester
The current building on Hollinwood Avenue(Image: Manchester City Council planning portal)
Lidl have brought forward plans to build a new store at 440 Hollinwood Avenue in Moston.
The firm wants to demolish an existing single storey warehouse which had been occupied by Barr drinks but is now vacant, and replace it with a new single-storey store almost 2,000 square metres in size.
There have been a total objections with some questioning if the store is needed given an Aldi opoened 400 yards away last month and raising concerns about traffic.
Transport chiefs say they see ‘no significant issues’.
Council officers have recommended it for approval, subject to a number of conditions, saying it would ‘would offer favourable regeneration to provide appropriately scaled economic development which would create shopping choice and a range of local employment opportunities’.
“The proposed redevelopment has the potential to bring about significant economic, environmental and visual improvements by replacing what is currently underutilised brownfield land with a modern foodstore development” they add in their report.
Dozens of new affordable homes on site of former Manchester City matchday pub
CGI image of how the apartments could look(Image: Manchester City Council Planning portal)
The Great Places Housing Group want to build 82 affordable homes in a six storey building on the junction of Grey Mare Lane and Ashton New Road in Beswick.
A total of 57 of the apartments would be one bedroom, whilst 25 would two bedroom. Six disabled parking spaces would be provided.
All the homes would be let on a social rent basis.
The site is currently used as a surface car park. It was once home to The Manchester pub (previously the Crossroads), a popular watering hole for Manchester City games before and after games at the Etihad just a short distance away.
The pub was demolished in 2019. The homes are an early phase in the wider Grey Mare Lane Masterplan.
Officers say they are minded to approve subject to a legal agreement to secure a monitoring fee for the on site biodiversity.
It would ‘bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits’ they said.
The conversion of a gym in Chorlton to apartments
The building which is currently used as a gym(Image: Manchester City Council planning portal)
The applicant is seeking permission to internally convert a gym on St Werburgh’s Road in Chorlton into three apaartments.
Thw building is a Grade II listed farmhouse dating back to the late 18th century.
Permission was granted to covert it from office space to a gym in 2017.
A number of other small businesses are also said to be operating out of the building including therapy and counselling, hair and beauty, physiotherapy, singing,yoga and pilates.
A total of 163 letters of objection have been received some of which claim it is a ‘vital and unique community hub’ which would be forced to close or relocate.
Officers say it is ‘acceptable in terms of its principle, appearance, impact upon visual and residential amenity’ and have recommended it for approval subject to conditions.
New youth facility in Chorlton
How the new centre could look
Manchester City Council want to build a single-storey youth and community centre on a piece of land called the Field of O’s in Chorlton.
It is a rectangular shaped playing field associated with Oswald Road Primary School. The school have not used it for many years and it is now used by the public for dog walking.
The building would be a ‘multiple purprose youth centre’ for people aged 10-19, as well as those up to age 25 with special educational needs.
It provide ‘a range of activities for physical, social and emotionalenrichment’ around four hours each day.
A total of 15 objections were received with some saying it is a ‘hugely important’ green space. However 21 letters of support have been received, with one saying it will be ‘fantastic’ for the area.
It is recommended for approval with conditions.
New youth facility in Withington
The current site off Yew Tree Road in Witington
The council also want to build a similar facility on land between Yew Tree Road, Heswall Avenue and Dennison Avenue in Old Moat, Withington.
The site was formerly a council depot and contains a number of single-storey brick buildings which would be demolished to make way for the new single-storey modular building.
It would offer similar facilities to the above propsoed centre in Chorlton.
It has been recommended for approval.
High school bidding to use artificial sports pitch at weekends
Didsbury High School(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Didsbury High School, on The Avenue, off Princess Road in West Didsbury, wants to amend the hours of use for its artifical pitch.
Planning permission was granted for the 3G synethic sports pitch and long jump pit in 2022.
It now wants to vary the condition attached to that regarding the hours of use, so it can be used at weekends.
They want the green light for it to be used 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm on Saturdays and 10pm to 4pm on Sundays.
A total of 13 objections have been received, raising potential traffic and noise issues, as well as one letter of support.
It has been recommended for approval.