Rising Up: The Role of Tall Buildings in our Cities
In December, we received the decision notice for ‘One Heritage Tower’ a flagship scheme in Salford. At 55-storeys in height, it will be the tallest building in Salford.
Manc-hatten’s Dizzying Development Trend
Manchester and Salford’s skylines have already evolved at an astonishing rate, with tall buildings now commonplace across both cities. And there are more in the pipeline. Salboy has recently unveiled plans for their 76-storey ‘Viadux 2’, whilst Renaker’s 71-storey ‘Lighthouse’ is currently going through planning.
Further additions to the ‘Manc-hatten’ skyline are welcomed by many, and for good reason. Height brings density, and there are benefits to density, if it is located in the right place.
Euan Kellie secured consent for Obsidian
The Case for the Compact City
The virtues of high-density, mixed-use development within urban centres are perhaps best explained using the Compact City concept. This urban model presents an alternative approach to the Garden City movement.
Where the latter sought to separate out land uses, deconcentrate housing and locate it within the sprawling suburbs, the Compact City model enables inhabitants to walk, cycle or benefit from well-supported public transport networks to employment and leisure facilities. They also provide opportunities for efficient energy consumption and for previously developed areas of land to be regenerated. Density creates the business case for new investment and creates a rich milieu of cultures and skillsets that breed enhanced business and trading activities.
A Policy-Led Approach
We see the principles underpinning the Compact City concept in modern planning policy today. The Places for Everyone (PfE) strategic plan promotes higher densities in the most accessible locations. This, it states, enables people to access nearby employment and education opportunities and public transport options, to reduce reliance on the car and reduce levels of poverty. According to PfE this approach will alleviate pressure on greenfield and Green Belt land elsewhere in Greater Manchester.
Many of the region’s local authorities have produced supporting planning policies and guidance in an effort to focus height in strategic locations and manage this rapidly increasing appetite for height.
Manchester City Council has long used regeneration frameworks to guide future development across the city’s different character areas, often identifying specific sites where tall buildings would be appropriate and / or setting out height limits.
Trafford Council's Design Code provides a detailed and interactive chapter on the principles that should be followed to create a successful tall building.
And elsewhere in the North-West, Liverpool City Council adopted a Tall Buildings SPD in October last year. This breaks the city into five clusters for tall buildings and sets out height parameters for each.
Euan Kellie secured approval for Springfield Lane
The Arguments Against the Compact City
Of course, tall buildings do not gain universal support. Critics of the compact approach claim that higher density development can actually add to traffic congestion. They argue that tall buildings full of residents place increased pressure on healthcare and schools (whilst simultaneously being unsuitable for families), particularly if the appropriate infrastructure is not already in place.
Given their potential for environmental impacts, many are also keen to ensure that tall buildings don’t forsake the street-level experience for the wider skyline.
A lack of on-site affordable housing and open space provision, perceived harm to the setting of heritage assets and impacts on microclimate are all criticisms often levelled at tall buildings.
The Design Opportunities on Tall Building Schemes
However, tall buildings provide plenty of creative opportunities to respond both to a site and to legitimate planning concerns.
While Registered Providers cannot pass on large service charges to their tenants or take on part of a building, tall buildings can often generate valuable funds for affordable housing to be delivered elsewhere.
And in terms of open space, tall buildings can provide a positive contribution, either via s106 contributions or on-site delivery, to provide vital environmental enhancements that move an area forward. Potential environmental impacts are thoroughly tested by the applicant’s design/technical team and carefully considered by a local authority during the planning process.
Euan Kellie received planning permission for One Heritage Tower
One Heritage Tower will reinvigorate a section of riverside walkway alongside the River Irwell. The historic Market Cross, once the Medieval and civic centre of Salford, will be reinstated next to the site using funds from the scheme. Its instantly recognisable crown feature will form the focal point of the emerging Greengate cluster and its angled cladding, arranged to create a ‘pleated effect’, means that the building’s appearance will respond to changing light conditions.
One Heritage Tower is designed to draw residents through the site, creating a link between a public realm gateway and the riverside walkway. Commercial units and a generous foyer address the scheme’s key frontages, including the River Irwell.
Few can deny that tall buildings stimulate an emotional reaction in us, which draws some people towards them in wonder, whilst leaving others less convinced. What is certainly true is that when delivered in the right way, tall buildings can be fantastic symbols of economic growth and prosperity in a city.
Whatever your opinion, it seems this dramatic period of change is set to continue!
We are experts in providing planning advice for tall building proposal across the regional city centre of Manchester and Salford. Get in touch with us to discuss your next project and we’ll work with you to unlock your site.
