New updated plans have been submitted for the first phase of commercial development at the Mayfield neighbourhood in Manchester. The plans will feature a giant cycle hub and more green space.
Planning consent was granted for Mayfield Park, two offices and a large multi-storey car park in February 2020 and now, the Mayfield Partnership has announced updated plans for a more sustainable first phase of commercial development.
The plans for Mayfield’s first three new buildings will embrace the shifts in attitudes to work, wellbeing and nature since the pandemic. They will support Manchester’s goal to be net zero by 2038 by creating one of Manchester’s largest cycle hubs and creating an extension to the green space in Mayfield Park.
The plans for 320,000 sq ft of office space across two new buildings – The Poulton, designed by Bennetts Associates and The 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 three-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.
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.
The transport hub will feature fewer car parking spaces with additional electric vehicle charging points. More than 500 sq m 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 charging to 50 per cent, 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.
The £400m first phase of Mayfield is being funded by Landsec.
