Manchester's skyline keep evolving as today, the planning and highways committee cemented the approval of five new skyscrapers and a Piccadilly hotel.

Developer Renaker plans to transform Manchester’s skyline at Great Jackson Street once more will have combined gross development value greater than £1bn, according to viability statements from Savills and Roger Hannah.

The application was split into two parts: The Lighthouse and The Green.

Designs for both projects were undertaken by SimpsonHaugh Architects.

In total, the schemes will add 2,388 homes across 1.2 acres to one of the most developed parts of Manchester.

As well as the two Renaker applications, Lamington Group also had its application for a Piccadilly hotel approved.

The Lighthouse

• Application reference number: 137227/FO/2023

Developer Renaker’s 71-storey residential tower will provide 642 homes and a top-floor public restaurant.

It will surpass the South Tower as Manchester’s tallest tower.

Lighthouse will comprise 16 studios, 187 one-bedroom, 402 two-bedroom and 37 three-bedroom apartments.

There will also be a three-story office building with a gross internal area of 22,200 sq ft.

Three basement levels will contain 214 parking spaces.

The Green

• Application reference number: 137226/FO/2023

Across two plots, bisecting Great Jackson Street, four new towers will be constructed.

Two of which will have 47 storeys and 451 flats, and two will have 51 storeys containing 422 apartments.

In total, this would provide 1,746 homes, 63% of which would be 2-bed homes, while 428 apartments will have one-bedroom.

Three basements will have 483 parking spaces.

There will also be 14 commercial units, 11 of which will be for retail – with a combined floorspace of roughly 14,000 sq ft.

The developer has also committed to a large publicly accessible green space, connecting to Hulme Park over the Mancunian Way, as well as a total 28,500 sq ft of public space.

Both Great Jackson Street projects faced some pushback from councillors over the lack of any affordable homes.

The applicant responded that neither scheme would be viable should it commit to on-site affordable housing.

Ultimately, the committee agreed and approved the application.

Involved in the Renaker project are Deloitte, Curtins, WSP, Tenos, ERAP, Godwins, TPM Landscape, Element Sustainability, Fisher Acoustics, Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture, GIA, Enzygo, FutureServ, Chris Burnett Associates, Ambiente, and DP Squared, a DeSimone Company.

Aparthotel Piccadilly

• Application reference number: 137794/FO/2023

A Lamington Group application for a 251-bedroom hotel off Piccadilly was also approved.

The 34-storey tower will renovate parts of the grade two-listed Union Bank and will create 133,000 sq ft of gross internal floorspace.

A public-facing restaurant and rooftop parts are also in the plans.

The application was submitted on behalf of Lamington Group by Avison Young.

The £78m project was designed by Bennetts Associates.

It is expected that the development will have an estimated gross development value of £90m.

Involved with the project are Egniol Consulting, Ansley Horne Co, Urban Microclimate, Heritage Architecture, and Chris Burnett Associates.

Waterman, JLL, Price & Myers, KP Acoustics, and Eight Versa are also part of the project team.