Historic England has objected to a planning application to demolish two Victorian buildings in Manchester city centre conservation area.
The proposals would see 1 North Parade and 5 Parsonage Gardens knocked down to make way for a new tower in the Parsonage Gardens Conservation Area, dominating the setting of one of the city centre’s rare green open spaces.
The government’s advisor on the historic environment says the existing buildings are attractive examples of 19th century Manchester warehouses, which help tell the story of how the city developed during the Industrial Revolution.
Historic England’s advice to Manchester City Council planners is that demolishing these buildings would cause significant and irreversible harm to the conservation area. The heritage body adds that the application fails to show why the buildings cannot have a sustainable future.
The design of the replacement building is too tall, too large, and out of keeping with its surroundings. While the existing buildings around Parsonage Gardens are of a similar, lower height and sit comfortably around the open space, the new building’s height and design would dominate the area rather than fit in with it.
Historic England also noted that the developer’s own financial assessment shows the proposed new development is not commercially viable in the current market.
The organisation concluded that the proposals conflict with national planning policy, local heritage policy, and the City Council’s design guidance for the conservation area.
Catherine Dewar, North West Regional Director at Historic England, said:
“At Historic England we’re always keen to work with developers to find solutions that deliver growth while respecting Manchester’s unique character. We’ve done this successfully on schemes like St Michael’s, where collaboration led to a better outcome for the city’s heritage. Sadly, the current proposals for Parsonage Gardens don’t strike that balance and we would lose some of Manchester’s heritage as a result.
“Demolishing these buildings would cause significant and irreversible harm to the conservation area and the new tower would dominate the setting of one of the city centre’s rare green open spaces.
“Manchester’s heritage is one of its greatest assets and a great source of pride for people who love this city. Research shows that properties in conservation areas see values rise by around 9% so looking after historic places like Parsonage Gardens isn’t just the right thing to do – it makes good economic sense too.”
