Planning permission approved for Manchester’s first vertical village and London Road Fire Station

Allied London has received planning permission from Manchester City Council for two ambitious and pioneering developments – London Road Fire Station and Trinity Islands.

It’s a new lease of life for a Grade II listed building that has long lain dormant.

The design approach for London Road Fire Station will be one of protection and preservation of original features such as the slate roof, timber, brickwork, stone and tiles to ensure its Edwardian Baroque charm remains intact.

“London Road Fire Station is a fantastic asset for Manchester and our proposals will breathe new life into this local landmark,” said Gary Tidmarsh of architects Levitt Bernstein.

“Our sensitive but innovative design approach befits the beauty of the building, and means it will finally be brought back into use for the people of the city”.

“We can now start a careful and considered process to create something quite special for our project,” said Allied London chief executive Michael Ingall.

“Now we have detailed planning consent we can engage in detail with hospitality and leisure operators and we have one or two discussions at the detailed stage.  Allied London have a proven track record for delivering sustainable re-use projects particularly in London with the Brunswick Centre as well as Old Granada Studios at St. John’s.

“At London Road Fire Station we will ensure there is something for everyone, and for all those people who have such interest and history with the building, you will be always welcome”.

Trinity Islands will be Manchester’s first vertical village and the tallest residential scheme in the north west.

It will offer residents unrivalled and stunning views of the city from the scheme’s sky-gardens, light boxes and observation decks, with the tallest of the towers standing at 67-storeys (213 metres) – the tallest in the city.

Mr Ingall said Allied London intended to work with Manchester City Council to ensure the development is affordable for city centre workers who have to suffer long commutes but would prefer to live in the city centre.

“This is an ambitious and important development. It is not simply a residential development, it’s the creation of a community that can serve a much wider neighbourhood.

“Our experience in taking over the former Clarence Dock in Leeds and successfully delivering the new Leeds Docks shows the importance of creating an appropriate mix of use around significant residential developments. Other developments in this new area have little to no community, retail, recreation uses, so we have been keen that Trinity Islands will be the heart of this new area”.