St. John’s, Manchester’s new neighbourhood for culture, enterprise and living, being undertaken by Allied London and Manchester City Council has received the go-ahead for its first phase.
The new neighbourhood will consist of 2.8million sq ft. of workspace, events space, public realm, riverside parks, gardens, hotels, arts venues, independent shops, cafes, restaurants, including 1,450 homes, which will come together to form St. John’s, one of the key projects in the Northern Powerhouse initiative.
The Factory
St. John’s can lead the way for culture and enterprise in the North and North West through the location for The Factory, Manchester’s new arts, culture and performance project. Designed to provide a real counterbalance to the Capital’s cultural hub, the Factory will see a new calibre of culture in the North emerge and become the new home for The Manchester International Festival.
George Osborne chose St. John’s Old Granada Studios building to host the Government’s Northern Powerhouse talk last week, revealing business reforms that will make a huge difference for the future of modern enterprise in the North and North West.
Michael Ingall, Allied London’s Chief Executive, said, “Allied London has long been championing Manchester and are fully supporting the Northern Powerhouse initiative, which now even has its own elected Minister in the Houses of Parliament. It is a mission of the utmost importance. Manchester has always been at the heart of enterprise, arts and culture and St. John’s will provide a platform for the city to cluster creative enterprise and activities and flourish with workspace, theatre, music, performance, events, craft workshops and independent retail at the heart of our new neighbourhood.”
Allied London will commence the project in Autumn 2016.
Planning consents
Detailed planning consent was granted for Old Granada Studios, the development of the existing building into an event hotel with restaurants, bars, roof terraces, rooftop pool, cinema and new performance and entertainment spaces in the broadcast and recording studios.
Consent has also been granted for what will now be known as South Village, a new neighbourhood of workshops, innovative workspace, independent retail and 60 apartments together with pockets of public and private realm, pedestrianised streets and vibrant green spaces.
The Bonded Warehouse, a creative and innovative workspace will be the anchor and heart of Project Voice, a new St. John’s initiative for a ‘Village Of Innovation, Culture and Enterprise.’
For more information click here