HG Construction has been appointed to deliver the £225m Red Bank Riverside phase of FEC’s Victoria North scheme in Manchester. The contract covers four buildings and 900 homes, including a 34-storey build-to-rent tower, with some elements due to start soon and the tallest building awaiting Gateway 2 sign-off.
Manchester City Council has issued a formal decision notice for Oval Real Estate’s Albert Bridge House redevelopment, following completion of a Section 106 agreement. The scheme will replace the existing office block with two residential towers and a smaller office building, although start on site still depends on Building Safety Regulator Gateway 2 approval.
Falconer Chester Hall has promoted three staff members as the practice expands its focus on high-risk and tall-building work under the Building Safety Act regime. The firm says it has secured multiple Gateway approvals and consents and is positioning itself to provide both architectural and principal designer services for compliant delivery of tall buildings.
Stretford Grammar School is consulting on plans for a new campus on its Green Belt site in Stretford, with a planning application expected later this autumn. The scheme, backed by the Department for Education’s School Rebuilding Programme, would replace the existing estate with a new 84,500 sq ft teaching block and associated sports and outdoor facilities, targeting completion in summer 2029.
Glenbrook has secured Gateway 2 approval for its 44-storey, 364-home residential tower on Whitworth Street West in Manchester, alongside planning permission and funding arrangements. The scheme, designed by Sheppard Robson and due to be built by Domis, is now positioned to move toward a start on site in 2027.
Warrington Council has reapproved Habiko’s plans for a 240-home affordable housing scheme on the former DW Sports site off Academy Way, removing a planning barrier to a £38m Homes England grant. The council’s earlier Section 106 requirement was dropped after Homes England said the grant could not be allocated if the affordable provision was secured through that legal agreement.
Manchester City Council has identified seven locations for potential new conservation areas as part of its local plan review, which would be the first additions since the 1990s. If approved, the city would increase its conservation areas from 35 to 42, with developers in the affected areas needing to demonstrate how proposals protect local character.
Gwelyfenai has proposed a 3.6m sq ft data centre campus on the former Ferodo site near Caernarfon, but the scheme may be called in by the Welsh Government for its own determination. The project includes demolition, regrading and a range of ecological mitigation measures, while attracting criticism over potential landscape and wildlife impacts.
Nicholson Group has submitted plans to convert the vacant Grade II-listed former Pilkington canteen in St Helens into 45 flats. The adaptive reuse proposal follows an earlier, unimplemented 2008 approval for a smaller residential scheme and aims to balance heritage preservation with new housing use.
The RSPCA has submitted plans to Wigan Council for a 55,199 sq ft animal care facility at Mossley Hall Farm in Lowton to help address a regional capacity shortage. The proposal follows consultation and includes a low-rise, landscape-led design with biodiversity net gain, revised access and parking arrangements, and specialist veterinary, rehabilitation and rehoming spaces.
Manchester City Council is due to consider two major purpose-built student accommodation schemes on Charles Street, together delivering around 3,500 beds across seven buildings. Both proposals are recommended for approval and would involve substantial tall-building development adjacent to the Sister innovation district, with objections focused on scale, daylight and impacts on nearby public realm.
The Prosper UK Housing Commission, chaired by Gavin Barwell, has called for a three-year pause on new regulation affecting developers, alongside a commitment to rule out rent controls. Its report argues that housing delivery is being constrained by both buyer affordability and developer viability, and proposes measures spanning planning, demand support, and build-to-rent investment.
