Planning permission has been granted for Manchester Metropolitan University’s new library, which is set to become a bold and future-focused space at the heart of the University’s campus.
Manchester City Council approved the project on Friday, May 8, which will see the current library at All Saints on Oxford Road replaced with a purpose-built, digitally enabled facility designed to support study, research, and collaboration.
The new design will create a transformed library experience, offering new digital engagement opportunities within flexible, light-filled spaces.
The plans also aim to enhance the surrounding public realm by introducing new publicly accessible landscaped spaces, improved pedestrian routes, and welcoming social areas, to create a more vibrant and accessible environment for students, colleagues, and the wider community.
Andrew Fallon, Chief Property Officer at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “The approval of plans for our new library marks a significant milestone. The library will be a landmark development, reflecting our commitment to outstanding education, world-class research, and a more connected, vibrant campus experience for all.
“It marks the beginning of an inspiring new chapter in realising our University’s ambition and the future of our estates masterplan – bringing our vision to life in ways that will shape generations to come.”
In addition, planning permission has been granted for the redevelopment of the western end of the former All Saints Library, marking another step forward in the wider estate’s development programme. The project will transform the space into a hub for student support, teaching and collaboration.
The new Campus Hub will create a clear and welcoming front door to the University, bringing student‑facing services together in one vibrant, central location. Designed to make access to support simpler and more intuitive, it will offer joined‑up, digitally enabled help across wellbeing, academic success, finance and more.
As a highly visible and accessible space, the Hub will benefit students, staff and the wider community, while transforming the existing building to deliver a high‑quality, flexible environment that meets the evolving needs of our students.
Chris Seviour, partner at Hawkins\Brown architects said: “By retaining and refurbishing All Saints West, we save carbon and character, reimagining it as a Campus Hub while setting the stage for a future library, shaped by diverse settings, including space to study ‘alone together’ and a dramatic double-height reading room. The pearlescent cladding and rippled stainless steel of the buildings are designed to reflect life on the campus and Manchester’s ever-changing skies.”
The new Library supports the University’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions from fuel and energy, helping to deliver a net zero campus by 2038. Sustainability is also central to the Campus Hub design, with the retention and upgrade of the existing structure reducing environmental impact while creating a modern, accessible and energy‑efficient space for the future.
The regeneration around All Saints is part of the University’s large-scale investment across its estate to deliver a safe, accessible, and connected civic campus. This includes new developments and facilities; refurbishments; conserving heritage assets; improving the public realm and landscaped spaces; which supports sustainability commitments, and providing high-quality, affordable student accommodation.
Works at the site of the former All Saints Library have now begun, and demolition is expected to be completed in late Summer 2026.
