The Manchester city centre skyline is set to change once again, as a nine-year project to build four “iconic” skyscrapers has been approved by councillors.
Set to be known as ‘Trinity Islands’, the £751 million plans for the SimpsonHaugh-designed apartment blocks – which were submitted by residential tower specialists, Renaker – are to take shape on two pieces of land on the banks of the River Irwell, and will include a total of 1,950 apartments.
The apartments are to be built on a car park plot between Regent Road, Liverpool Road, and Water Street.
As well as the residential facilites, each of the skyscrapers will feature co-working space, a gym, and lounge areas, and then externally, each building would also have a private residents’ garden that’s accessed directly from the ground floor space.
There’ll also be private underground car parks and cycle storage within both the three-storey basements.
Nearly two-thirds of the site off Trinity Way will become green space open to the public.
This approval by Manchester City Council comes after previous plans for five towers – including one which would have been the tallest residential building in Western Europe – failed to materialise, however one of the skyscrapers in these latest plans by Renaker would still be among the tallest towers in the UK outside of London, second in Manchester to the South Tower at Deansgate Square.
Controversially however, none of the new apartments would be deemed “affordable”, as the developer said this would affect the financial viability of the scheme.
An initial contribution of £106,000 towards affordable housing elsewhere in the city has been agreed and a “clawback” clause means the developer could be asked to contribute more cash if the project becomes more profitable.
The developer also agreed to contribute £1.5 million towards a new school on Crown Street.
During yesterday’s planning meeting, Manchester City Council’s planning development manager Dave Roscoe told the committee that there were some “very serious challenges” with the site, but that this project was “special”, and admitted that some significant financial public benefits come from the scheme, including a £10 million public space and the funding towards the school.
The nine-year £751 million project has been approved by councillors this week / Credit: Renaker & SimpsonHaugh
Speaking on the green light given to the plans, a spokesperson for Renaker said the company is “delighted” with the decision, adding: “We look forward to delivering these new, iconic buildings, as well as new homes and facilities of the highest quality for residents and the wider community.”
Deansgate councillor Joan Davies, who represents the ward where the site is located, said she was “disappointed” with the amount of affordable housing, but was pleased the “clawback” clause created the possibility for the council to demand more money from the developer later.
Manchester City Council Leader Bev Craig added: “It’s important that we look at major schemes like Trinity Islands in the round, alongside our city’s plans and the positive impact that this sort of growth continues to have on our city.
“I am passionate about ensuring that Manchester’s growth benefits everyone.
“Manchester remains a place of prodigious population growth and the city can only meet the demand for new housing through major schemes such as this one, which also brings brownfield land back into use.”
She added: “Trinity Islands is a significant investment in our city, which is testament to the confidence developers continue to have in Manchester, despite the ongoing economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This development alone will create 2,000 homes and 4,000 jobs in the construction stage.”
Featured Image – Renaker & SimpsonHaugh
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Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
“We are definitely going to see the very best of what Rochdale has to offer over the next 12 months and people will come from far and wide to see it.”
Featured Image – Rochdale Council
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The Lowry Theatre undergoes revamp following Biffa Award grant
Danny Jones
The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.
Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.
As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.
The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:
Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.
After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.
The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.
This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.
The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.
The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update:“It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.
“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.
“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.
As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”
As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.
“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”
Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.
We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.
Emily Sergeant -
18th February 2022 
