{"id":686201,"date":"2026-01-10T06:52:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T06:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/686201\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T06:52:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T06:52:17","slug":"two-victorian-italianate-buildings-in-parsonage-gardens-could-be-demolished-for-14-storey-tower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/686201\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Victorian ‘Italianate’ buildings in Parsonage Gardens could be demolished for 14-storey tower"},"content":{"rendered":"

They’ve stood for 150 years – but their future looks in doubt<\/p>\n

How the plans for Parsonage Gardens are shaping up(Image: Squire and Partners for Beaconsfield Commercial Ltd via planning documents)<\/p>\n

Two Victorian \u2018Italianate\u2019 buildings could be demolished to make way for a 14-storey office block towering over a city centre park.<\/p>\n

Developers have applied for planning permission to knock down 1 Parsonage and 5 Parsonage, built in the 1860s and 1870s respectively as warehouses. Both are now office buildings boasting green views of Parsonage Gardens.<\/p>\n

Beaconsfield Commercial Ltd says the pair \u2018are in a deteriorated condition and no longer meet office occupier standards\u2019, and wants to raze them. It hopes to build \u2018One North Parade\u2019 in their place, a 14-storey office block featuring a public restaurant and bar on the ground floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe building is envisioned as a distinctive landmark adjacent to Parsonage Gardens, one of Manchester city centre<\/a>\u2019s most significant public spaces,\u201d the planning application said. \u201cDesigned to set a benchmark for workplace environments, it places an emphasis on tenant well-being, sustainable design, and architectural quality, contributing to the vibrancy and long-term development of the city centre.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A ground floor bar-restaurant would be open to the public(Image: Squire and Partners for Beaconsfield Commercial Ltd via planning documents)<\/p>\n

Images show architects plan to use red brick facades to fit in with the area\u2019s Victorian vibe. They explained why: \u201cIt references the architectural character of 1 North Parade and 5 Parsonage through the integration of arched openings at ground floor level and the use of red brick as the primary fa\u00e7ade material\u2014both of which are prevalent features within the conservation area.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new designs are a radical departure from a previous plan for a steel-and-glass tower. It was knocked back for being too tall, not respecting the area\u2019s architecture, and a lack of evidence office demand could fill the space.<\/p>\n

Although the second scheme shows a big rethink, it appears opposition remains to the development. Planners said a consultation found neighbours were unhappy at the demolition of existing buildings, \u2018harm\u2019 to the conservation area, and the influence on existing buildings.<\/p>\n

You can view or comment on the plans here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"They’ve stood for 150 years – but their future looks in doubt How the plans for Parsonage Gardens…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":686202,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,393,4884,2465,8086,8828,29712,285,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-686201","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-manchester","12":"tag-manchester-city-centre","13":"tag-manchester-council","14":"tag-manchester-development","15":"tag-politics","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115869486341935914","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=686201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/686202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=686201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=686201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=686201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}