Plans have been revealed for a new 18-storey tower in Manchester city centre, complete with a rooftop pool.
The Alberton will be the latest development from Bruntwood, who want to build a ‘revolutionary’ workspace and leisure destination.
The £93m development would replace the existing Alberton House on St Mary’s Parsonage, the site of the first Manchester Gas Works.
Plans include a rooftop holistic wellness centre, which would house the UK’s highest workspace pool as well as a hydrotherapy vitality pool, hot and cold treatment rooms, a fitness studio, a yoga terrace, a physio room, and shower and changing facilities.
On the 17th floor, there’ll be a panoramic roof terrace with views across the city, and a food and beverage outlet.
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The Alberton. Credit: Supplied
The Alberton would be the flagship building for Bruntwood Works’ Pioneer programme
It’s being designed by EPR Architects, who are creating a ‘modern reimagining’ of Manchester’s Victorian cotton mills.
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The work on the site is set to begin later this year ahead of an early 2025 completion.
Taking place nearby, also within Manchester City Council’s St. Mary’s Parsonage Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF), is the redevelopment of the grade-II listed Kendal Milne building, Bruntwood’s Blackfriars House, and King’s House, which is currently undergoing redevelopment.
The Alberton’s 17th floor roof terrace. Credit: Supplied
The plans propose the demolition of the existing Alberton House, which has been identified as an energy-inefficient 1960s office building.
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When complete, The Alberton’s ground floor will connect the Trinity Bridge walkway and Motor Square, with a hospitality offering across the entire floor including a restaurant, bar and coffee shop.
Completing the plans are a screening and cinema room, a flexible event space, a cycle hub with showers, and Brompton bike lockers, as well as the 17th floor roof terrace.
Ciara Keeling, CEO of Bruntwood Works, commented: “The Alberton is going to revolutionise workspace, not just in Manchester but across the UK. It is a development that supports integrating wellbeing into customer’s daily lives to encourage a positive work/life balance.
“This is evident in our plans to create a holistic wellbeing centre that will act as the focal point of the entire development, including a rooftop pool with panoramic views of the city.
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“We understand that the way we work and live has changed for the long-term, so we wanted to give our customers a space that suits their changing needs and helps to promote a working environment where they can thrive professionally, but also personally.
“Our Pioneer programme has always recognised the need to incorporate best-in-class wellness and amenity credentials within the workspace, and The Alberton will offer the pinnacle of this. We are proud to be able to deliver a world-class workplace and leisure destination to Manchester as it continues to compete on a global stage for inward investment.”
Featured image: Supplied
Property
Developers share new look at Stockport’s newest indie neighbourhood at Weir Mill
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has been given another peek at the new neighbourhood and hangout spot in Stockport, Weir Mill.
Situated on the banks of the River Mersey, which runs through the heart of the old Cheshire town, Stopfordians will be more than familiar with the old building, which sits in the shadow of the Hat Works Museum tower.
The familiar North Western red brick is set to remain a noticeable structure below the recognisable Victorian Viaduct, but beneath it is set to become the home of at least new independent businesses.
Now, developers Capital and Centric have shared further glimpses at what they’re hoping the mini-district will look like when finished…
We visited the site back in 2023 not long after work begun.They have big plans to make it a suburban destination.Credit: The Manc Group/Capital and Centric
As you can see, besides the new homes and other buildings popping up in and around SK, this particular development (which will hopefully replicate the success of similar canalside regenerations such as those in Manchester city centre’s New Islington Marina) spans a whopping 65,000 sq ft.
Revolving around a new village epicentre, of sorts – simply known as Weaver Square – will see an influx of at least 10 new bars, restaurants, cafés and more indie traders spilling out of Weir Mill’s soon-to-be transformed ground floor onto what they hope will be a bustling new terrace.
Come the summer, this could be a great suntrap spot, too.
Aiming to bring these varied, open, social spaces to life with both local businesses and residents in mind, they’re promising live music, street food pop-ups, parties and al fresco eats under the iconic arches.
Pictured below, the space will not only include the aforementioned riverside terrace but a central courtyard with a lush, green, plant-laden sunken courtyard in the middle, plus plenty of other nooks teeming with character.
After being greenlit by Stockport Council, the project itself has actually been moving forward since 2022, but it now appears like it’s starting to take real shape.
Credit: Supplied
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Stockport‘s cabinet member for economy, skills and regeneration, states: “Our UK-leading town centre regeneration is about more than building new homes, it’s about creating vibrant neighbourhoods and breathing new life into Stockport’s heritage, giving our historic buildings a future.”
“While the Grade-II listed former mill is being carefully restored for residents, the new public square will create opportunities for independent businesses to thrive and for people from across the borough to come and enjoy our buzzing town centre.
“It is incredibly exciting to see how our riverside will soon be opened up into an inviting outdoor space where local communities can come together over great food, live music, and creative events from day into night.”
Better still, with Stockport’s growing transport links as part of the Bee Network only set to be extended further in the coming years, Weir Mill will be a simple train/tram ride away soon enough.
Greater Manchester town named one of Britain’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2026
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in Great Britain for 2026 have been named, and the north is well represented.
Just as it has done for the last 13 years now, Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index, which explores exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlights the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year.
This year, thousands of residents across more than 200 locations told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community – from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlines the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
And among the top 10 happiest places to live, Rightmove has selected five northern towns for the list, including two here in the North West – and, crucially, one in Greater Manchester.
Altrincham was named the sixth happiest place to live in Britain.
Altrincham has been named one of Britain’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The Trafford town often gets its name thrown around in conversations like this, and with the variety of homes available, plenty of good local schools, great access to green space, and an ever-expanding retail environment and dining scene in the town centre – including the popular Altrincham Market, and the Stamford Quarter – it’s really not hard to see why.
Rightmove said that the average house price in Altrincham in 2025 was £643,244 and the average rental price (per calendar month) was £2,698, which does put the town up there with most most expensive in our region, it has to be said.
Elsewhere on the top 10 list, it was the popular Yorkshire town of Skipton that took the crown as Britain’s happiest place to live.
Macclesfield in Cheshire was the other North West inclusion at number seven, and then the other northern towns ranked in the top 10 are Harrogate at four and Hexham, in Northumberland, at number 10.
When it comes to the wider rankings, and the North West ranking as a whole, no other Greater Manchester town made it into the region’s top five, however Stockport did find itself in the North West’s top 10 in the sixth spot.
A sense of belonging and wellbeing, and how the environment shapes daily life were highlighted as major influencing factors on the top 10.
But Rightmove did admit that this year’s survey showed there are many different layers that combine to influence what is or isn’t a happy and fulfilling lifestyle.
“Interestingly, this year’s survey shows that our happiness with where we live often grows with age,” Rightmove said of this year’s Index.
“Residents aged 18-24 were the least likely to say they felt happy where they live. Happiness then increases through the age brackets, with those aged 65 and over being the most likely to feel happy with where they live.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Daisy Jackson -
14th July 2022 
