Manchester's getting yet another big tower - some think it will cost the city its soul in the end
05.08.2023 - 08:55
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Last week, Manchester town hall's planning committee gave the go-ahead for yet another plan for yet another high-rise block in the city centre. But this time, a Grade II-listed building would have to be demolished.
Reedham House, on King Street West, dates from 1849. It was once a showroom for horse-drawn carriages manufactured in a building behind it. With its classical design, it fits perfectly into the Parsonage Gardens conservation area, close to the River Irwell.
Permission was given to bulldoze the building and construct a 14-storey £32m office block in its place after councillors visited the site. The response from the country's key heritage groups, all of whom had objected, has been one of dismay.
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The former showroom earmarked for demolition is part of an historic carriage works complex, the rest of which, developers say, would be retained and restored under the plans. Heritage campaigners argue that if the showroom goes, the integrity of the site will be irreparably damaged.
But the council's planning boss says a new tower on the site of the showroom will contribute to the regeneration of that corner of the city centre and enable the refurbishment of the adjoining, surviving buildings. Meanwhile, developers say the new tower will meet an insatiable need for office accommodation in the city.
Campaigners see this as a watershed moment, asking big questions about how much Manchester is willing to sacrifice to development.
In February when the Manchester Evening News first reported on the proposal, the Victorian Society said it viewed the saving of the building as a test case for the way the twin cities of