Plans for a thin 55-storey tower block in the centre of Manchester have been narrowly approved.
The controversial £130m skyscraper project – which is to be used as student accommodation – was approved after the city’s planning committee chair, Basil Curley, was forced to deliver the casting vote in favour of the project at a split planning committee.
Curley said he thought the benefits of the building – dubbed the ‘tombstone’ and ‘cheese grater’ – outweighed the concerns.
Deansgate councillor William Jeavons called the building “inappropriate”.
More than 750 letters of objection were submitted against the application for the tower, which will sit on top of a partly demolished multi-storey car park on the corner of Great Marlborough Street
Laing O’Rourke is tipped to deliver the 850-room student project.
The Hulme Street scheme will be brick clad, with work expected to begin by the before the end of the year.
Architect Glenn Howells designed the building.
Aecom is acting as project manager and cost consultant.
Image: A CGI rendering of the ‘tombstone’ tower block. Credit: Glenn Howells Architects
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