Place North West editor Sarah Townsend interviews Louise Wyman, strategic director of growth and development at Manchester City Council, on her plans for development and placemaking in the city.
Proposed changes to controversial ‘Shudehill Shard’ pushed through under emergency powers
The controversial 17-storey ‘Shudehill Shard’ development has had a planning application amendment approved by Manchester City Council today under emergency powers. The published decision was also accompanied by a statement saying full scrutiny of planning proposals would recommence in July with the reinstatement of the planning committee.
The Meteor view: planning decisions in Manchester must be subject to full scrutiny
For the past few months The Meteor has been covering Manchester City Council’s suspension of its planning committee. We explain why we’re committed to continuing to cover this issue, which has seen controversial proposals previously rejected, approved under delegated powers. In March, Manchester City Council suspended its planning committee in response to the Covid-19 crisis. […]
Manchester’s New Ruins, Ten Years On
Ten years after publishing A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, author Owen Hatherley reflects on the past decade of neoliberal development in Manchester and its impact on the city. Last weekend, a few items down on the headlines, below the pandemic and the protests and curfews in the US, was a story […]
More controversial developments to be decided on by Chief Executive as Planning Committee remains suspended
Despite cross-party calls for the Planning Committee to be reinstated, another spread of developments will be decided this week by the council’s Chief Executive. The Meteor looks under the hood of a fiercely opposed apartment block in Ancoats and a build-to-rent skyscraper, along with three other developments. Over 400 units of housing are set to […]
Controversial plans for Hulme student flats given green light under delegated powers
Despite calls to reinstate the council planning committee, plans for student accommodation in Hulme were approved by the chief executive. Councillors and campaigners say the council’s emergency arrangements for the coronavirus crisis are undemocratic, with locals feeling excluded and threatening legal action. Last week, Manchester City Council’s chief executive approved controversial plans for a nine-storey […]
A vision for future Manchester: Local Plan consultation closes this Friday
Rising Up! Manchester Families have worked with Greater Manchester Housing Action, Climate Emergency Manchester and Steady State Manchester to formulate a response to the Manchester Local Plan. The response can be used and adapted by anyone wishing to comment on the Local Plan before the consultation closes at 5pm, this Friday 1 May. First published […]
Cross-party calls for Manchester planning committee to be reinstated
In response to the coronavirus crisis and lockdown, Manchester City Council suspended the planning committee and delegated planning powers to the Chief Executive. Thanks to new legislation, planning committees can now legally make decisions virtually. With other councils moving to online decision-making – and controversial schemes being decided this week – councillors, the Opposition, and […]
Trio take over Manchester planning decisions
The coronavirus lockdown means that council planning decisions will be delegated to a small team of council officers and not subject to scrutiny by a full planning committee. The power to decide on major Manchester planning applications has now been delegated to council chief executive Joanne Roney, alongside chair of the planning committee Cllr Basil […]
Legal challenge launched against council car park plans for Central Retail Park
Environmental campaign group Trees Not Cars are taking the council to court in an attempt to overturn their decision to turn the former Central Retail park into a car park. Manchester City Council announced their short- and long-term vision for the old Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street, on 10 February. The site has […]