CAPITAL&CENTRIC / Kamani Property Group / Hawkins\Brown
CAPITAL&CENTRIC and Kamani Property Group have this week confirmed the submission of plans for the new Swan Street community.
Social impact developer CAPITAL&CENTRIC – which recently featured in the BBC2 documentary Manctopia – has submitted a planning application for a £37 million scheme to create a new community in Manchester’s New Cross district in partnership with Kamani Property Group.
Located opposite the Mackie Mayor food hall and iconic Band on the Wall venue, the scheme will transform thesite on Swan Street – which CAPITAL&CENTRIC purchased with Kamani Property last year, and is currently home to two derelict buildings, once used as a MOT garage and a storage facility – into 118 new homes, with a mix of one, two and three bed design-led apartments.
There will be ground floor workspaces and spaces for local businesses to locate, such as a café-bar or deli.
A shared roof terrace and private roof terraces for residents are also planned, as the developers look to maximise outdoor space [and] with a striking design, it will also feature a huge 270m art canvas on the front of the building – which will be one of the largest in the city and will showcase local and international artists.
Speaking on the plans for the new community, Tim Heatley – Co-Founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC – said: “New Cross used to be a thriving location in the 18th and 19th century, and its due to have its day again. The area’s already attracting indie businesses and the same is going to happen with residents wanting to be part of the growing neighbourhood.
“As you’d probably expect from us, we’ve gone for a bold design with a huge art canvas on the building.
“We want people to stop and look and for it to become a talking point. Architecture should be interesting and draw people in – we’re not interested in building a bland boring building”.
Adam Kamani – CEO of Kamani Property – said: “Manchester runs through our veins and we’re proud to be part of the New Cross district’s resurgence.
“The city centre has been through a tough and unprecedented year tackling COVID-19, but we’re looking forwards to the comeback and recovery. As a business we’re keen to play our part in helping Manchester to thrive again [and] the submission of our plans with CAPITAL&CENTRIC to breathe new life into an under-loved part of the city with boundless potential is a great way to kick off 2021.”
Tom Dobson, Associate Director at Hawkins\Brown – the architects behind the scheme – said: “Swan Street is a fantastic opportunity to provide a new landmark destination with a layered architectural response, designed to offer a mixed use scheme of high-quality homes activated at ground level by commercial premises and enhanced public realm.”
The New Cross district is bound by Swan Street, Oldham Road, Rochdale Road, and Livesey Street.
In 2015, Manchester City Council approved a Neighbourhood Development Framework for New Cross to guide future development and create a vibrant new residential led neighbourhood, and the planning application submission by CAPITAL&CENTRIC and Kamani Property Group this week follows a public consultation, which was held during December.
A decision on the planning application is expected from Manchester City Council in the Spring.
Property
Authorities prepare to ‘turn the tide’ on Greater Manchester’s housing crisis
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is preparing to ‘turn the tide’ on its housing crisis by building new homes and protecting renters.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has set out its comprehensive plan to connect communities to new jobs and opportunities, drive up standards across the rental sector, and build new homes – with the latter helping to fulfil its Housing First ambition give everyone access to a ‘safe, secure, and affordable’ home by 2038.
This week has already seen a ‘renewed focus’ on driving up housing standards thanks to the naming of the first supporters of Greater Manchester’s bold new Good Landlord Charter.
New analysis also shows that GMCA’s Brownfield Housing Fund, which was set up in 2020, has already provided grants to deliver more than 15,000 homes, with an average of just over 45% being affordable housing.
But, there’s still a long way to go.
🏡 Today at #Housing2025, we marked a major milestone: Over 50% of rented homes in Greater Manchester are now covered by the Good Landlord Charter 🎉
— Greater Manchester Combined Authority (@greatermcr) June 26, 2025
GMCA says those recent successes will not stand alone, but rather support plans to deliver more social housing than is lost across the region.
Unlocking brownfield land is what authorities claim is the key to turning the tide on the housing crisis, as since its inception in 2020, as mentioned, Greater Manchester has invested a whopping £135.4 million from the Brownfield Housing Fund to redevelop underused brownfield land, which ultimately delivered thousands of new homes.
It’s anticipated that further funding allocations will come in the summer to supplement those already approved and in the works.
GMCA is also using the power of Mayoral Development Corporations (MDC) – which are statutory bodies set up by the Mayor Andy Burnham, designed to speed up development and attract investment within a specific area – to unlock regeneration opportunities, as these ‘pioneering’ tools bring together local partners and drive forward the authority’s ambitions to build new homes, bring jobs and investment, and support economic growth.
Authorities are preparing to ‘turn the tide’ on Greater Manchester’s housing crisis / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
Some of these MDCs currently include Old Trafford (part of the proposed Western Gateway Mayoral Development Zone), the expanded Stockport MDC, and the Northern Gateway MDC (part of Atom Valley).
Together, these three alone are expected to deliver 27,250 homes over the next 15 years to help address the housing crisis.
“If we are serious about securing the long-term success of Greater Manchester, we need to free ourselves from the grip of the housing crisis,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham.
“Because of the decisions we’ve taken, Greater Manchester is now building more affordable homes than at any point since the turn of the millennium. We need to keep building on that momentum until we reach a tipping point where we build more social homes than we lose.
“We’re determined to ensure that every person in Greater Manchester has access to the safe and secure home they need in order to thrive.”
Featured Image – James Feaver (via Unsplash)
Property
Petition launched to rebuild Hotspur Press in its ‘original form’ following devastating fire
Emily Sergeant
A petition has been launched to rebuild the Hotspur Press building in its ‘original form’ following the devastating fire last week.
In case you missed it, one of Manchester’s most historic landmarks has been left a shell of its former self after a huge fire erupted at the now-derelict Hotspur Press, which is on Cambridge Street beside Oxford Road train station, last Monday (23 June), destroying the iconic building that stood standing for more than 200 years.
It was subsequently declared a ‘major incident’ by authorities.
Thick black smoke clouds could be seen for miles over the city centre from around 4:30pm onwards and into the evening, as fire crews worked to extinguish the blaze.
BREAKING 🚨 Huge fire in Manchester city centre right now – historic Hotspur Press is ablaze with major disruption to trains out of Oxford Road #manchester#mcrpic.twitter.com/SnA52oiqxm
At the height of the blaze, two aerial units and more than 100 firefighters were working at the scene in warm and humid conditions.
But for the past couple of years now, before the building went up in flames, Hotspur Press was at the centre of redevelopment controversy, where planning permission was being sought to transform the building into high-rise student accommodation – and it’s these proposals that prompted the petition calling for an authentic rebuild to be set up.
That and the fact that it was announced towards the end of last week that Hotspur Press was to be part-demolished.
A petition has been launched to rebuild Hotspur Press in its ‘original form’ following the devastating fire / Credit: The Manc Group | Jonathan Boswell (Submitted)
Already racking up more than 400 signatures and counting, the petition calls for the historic building to be restored ‘faithfully and fully’.
“The recent fire has robbed Manchester of one of its most iconic and historic buildings, a cornerstone of the city’s skyline and industrial heritage,” the petition reads. “Hotspur Press was not just bricks and mortar, it was a living reminder of the city’s printing legacy, a symbol of Manchester’s character and soul.
“What we don’t need is another anonymous block of luxury flats that serve investors over residents.
“We are tired of seeing our history erased for profit. We demand that what is rebuilt reflects the identity, memory, and voice of the people who actually live here.”
The petition concluded: “Buildings like Hotspur Press carry the stories of the people who built this city – and they deserve more than neglect, fire, or demolition. Let this be the turning point. Rebuild Hotspur Press, and set a precedent for putting people, history, and place before profit.”
If you’re in support, you can find out more and sign the petition here.
Emily Sergeant -
15th January 2021 
