Planning achieved to transform derelict arches in Manchester into vibrant new leisure & retail spaces

We’re delighted to see that Manchester City Council has granted planning permission for the redevelopment of ten derelict railway arches on Corporation Street in Manchester. Following the submission of the planning application in April last year, covered extensively and positively by the local press, the green light for this scheme will see the arches transformed by The Arch Company into new destinations for food and drink, leisure and retail businesses to occupy.

As design architect for the scheme, our client Stephen George + Partners has drawn on both its technical expertise and strong track record working with historic buildings to create contemporary spaces, which nod to the industrial heritage of the arches.

Corporation Street is the latest arch scheme in Greater Manchester on which Stephen George + Partners has been working with The Arch Company. It joins previously approved plans to turn 10 neglected railway arches in Norton Street, Salford, into a thriving hub of bars, restaurants and cafes. The arches are located in Greengate, an area of the city currently experiencing a period of intensive development activity and growth.

Both the Manchester and the Salford projects form part of Project 1000, The Arch Company’s £200m plan to bring a thousand empty or derelict spaces into use across England and Wales by 2030. Corporation Street and Norton Street are just two of over ten such projects for which SGP has been commissioned to develop designs. In London, four of SGP’s schemes have already received consent – Witan Street, America Street, Salamanca Street and Crucifix Lane.

SGP Studio Director Alan Soper comments: “We are delighted to be working with The Arch Company on their ambitious programme, bringing these derelict arches back to life so that they can be appreciated and used by a new generation. “If refurbished correctly, they present a long-term, sustainable solution to the economic vitality of our towns and cities, where a diverse mix of businesses can thrive, local employment is boosted and communities are transformed.”