Soller Group has been granted permission to develop a new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Manchester. The approved proposals will redevelop the vacant Barclays bank on the corner of Oxford Road and Grosvenor Street bank into a 20-apartment PBSA scheme and provide 3,000 sq ft of ground floor commercial space.
The four storey modernist building has been boarded up since 2015 and will be retained and extended upwards by a single floor under Soller’s plans.
Situated within Manchester’s university district, the site boasts excellent public transport connections, alongside multiple neighbouring amenity and leisure facilities.
The development is located within a highly mixed-use area, with neighbouring uses including residential, education, student accommodation, sports facilities and open space.
“The proposed scheme represents a complementary use upon Oxford Road, comprised of a high-quality holistic design, within an accessible
Planning Statement, AshtonHale
location in Manchester City Centre. The proposals align with the regeneration visions for the area and the development accords to national and local policies.”
There are numerous larger scale buildings within immediate proximity to the application site; in particular, the Manchester Metropolitan University Arts and Humanities building situated opposite the application site, as well as the University of Manchester Engineering campus, which sits at eight storeys in height.
Define Architects is leading on design and AshtonHale is advising on planning.
