Plans to build landmark offices next to the Co-op’s headquarters in Manchester city centre have been recommended for approval.
Applicant NOMA is behind the scheme for 2 and 3 Angel Square which would together include around 440,000 sq ft of office space and accommodate 4,400 workers.
The proposals come after 1 Angel Square, where the Co-op is based, opened in 2013 and work started on 4 Angel Square. That building is expected to be completed in early 2023.
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At 14 storeys in height, 2 Angel Square would include 197,926 sq ft of office space and a further 17,200 sq ft of commercial space.
The team behind the project has also confirmed that 3 Angel Square would be 13 storeys and feature 241,531 sq ft of office space and 22,690 sq ft of commercial space.
The buildings have been designed by architects’ practice Cartwright Pickard, with the public realm led by Planit-IE.
If Manchester City Council backs the plans at a meeting on September 22, work could start on site early next year.
A council document published ahead of the meeting said: “The proposal would help to regenerate a key site within NOMA providing much needed high quality office accommodation. It would develop a vacant, poor quality site on a key road junction in the city centre.
“The new buildings would be sustainable and high quality and contribute to NOMA through its materials, elevational treatment and how it addresses street frontages.
“Others benefits include job creation and public realm improvements. The scale of the proposal would cause some a low level of harm to the significance of the nearby listed buildings. However, this would be outweighed by the public benefits delivered.
“There would be some localised impacts on amenity at nearby residents in terms of daylight and sunlight, but none are unusual for this urban context.
“The level of harm would be less than substantial and would be outweighed by the public benefits delivered. Notwithstanding the considerable weight that must be given to preserving the setting of the listed buildings and conservation areas as required by virtue of S66 and S72 of the Listed Buildings Act, the harm caused would be less than substantial and would be outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme thus meeting the requirements set out in paragraph 202 of the NPPF.”
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