The Mayfield Partnership has announced updated plans for amore sustainable first phase of commercial development at the transformational Mayfield neighbourhood, the emerging world–class urban community in the heart of Manchester city centre.
The plans for Mayfield’s first three new buildings will embrace the profound cultural shifts in attitudes to work, wellbeing and nature since the pandemic. They support Manchester’s mission to be a net zero city by 2038, establish one of Manchester’s largest cycle hubs and create a meaningful extension to Mayfield Park – the city centre’s first new public park in 100 years.
The plans for 320,000 sq ft of office space across two new buildings – The Poulton, designed by Bennetts Associates andThe Republic, designed by Morris+Company, will be targeting 600kg CO2 per m2 making them one of the most sustainable new office buildings in the city. An additional 3–acres of public spaces will extend Mayfield Park to the surrounding buildings contributing new landscaped areas, additional tree-planting, ecology and rain gardens.
The new buildings are targeting a 5.5-Star rating under the NABERS system – widely considered to be a world leading environmental performance rating tool for commercial buildings.
The planned multi-storey car park, designed by Studio Egret West, sees the biggest proposed change and would be remodelled as a multi-use building, featuring one of the city’s biggest, single–site cycle parking for over 400 bicycles. It will feature a series of attractive brick arches, which mirror the historic railway arches at Mayfield Depot, with ground floor cafés, bars, restaurants and event spaces.
The three buildings were originally granted unanimous planning consent in 2020 by Manchester City Council’s Planning Committee. Since then, the bold move to deliver the park first for the people of Manchester has led to the creation and delivery of the 6.5-acre Mayfield Park which opened in September 2022 and spans the uncovered and cleaned River Medlock with 140 mature trees and tens of thousands of plants and shrubs.
Reflecting and supporting Manchester’s ambitions to pioneer a low-carbon future, the transport hub will feature fewer car parking spaces with additional electric vehicle charging points. More than 500m2 of PV panels on the structure will further boost sustainability at Mayfield.
As transport habits in the city change, the transport hub includes the flexibility to increase the provision of EV chargingto 50%, add additional bicycle parking or to adapt to a complete change of use in the future.
The plans have been brought forward by the pioneering Mayfield Partnership, a public-private venture made up of LandsecU+I (the regeneration arm of Landsec), Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and placemaking and regeneration specialist LCR.
Subject to planning consent, work will begin on Mayfield Phase One later this year (2023).
Laura Percy, Development Director at LandsecU+I said: “Our updated proposals for a cleaner, greener and future-focused Mayfield phase one embrace the profound changes we’ve seen in recent years to the way we work, travel, and how highly we now value wellness and nature.
“Since then, Mayfield has contributed a beautiful new public park in the heart of Manchester. We believe Mayfield has the right mix to improve the quality of life for those who come here now, and for future generations.
“Creating one of the city’s largest cycle parks and designing-in the flexibility to repurpose the car park for a range of different uses, are just some of the ways we’re approaching Mayfield with a sustainable future in mind.
“Future occupiers at Mayfield will be drawn by the stunning views across the park, ecology, biodiversity and peaceful green space literally on their doorsteps, and a vision and commitment from the Mayfield Partnership that this place is a truly world-class urban neighbourhood long into the future.”
Mayfield is a transformational £1.5bn regeneration project in Manchester city centre, adjacent to the city’s mainline Piccadilly train station. The £400m first phase of Mayfield is being funded by Landsec.
In May 2023 it was announced that the heart of the scheme – Mayfield Park – Manchester’s new green lung, is leading the way to a healthier future by pledging its intention to become a smokefree space. Opened in September 2022, the 6.5-acre park has quickly established itself as a popular destination for people of all ages. It is the first green space in Greater Manchester to champion the city region’s plans to create more smokefree spaces.
