The journey to create Manchester city centre's tiny neighbourhood, a decade in the making, is nearly complete

Manchester’s tiny neighbourhood that’s taken a decade to develop is now close to being completed, with 99 new flats on the way.

Council chiefs approved a blueprint to redevelop New Cross — which is hemmed in by Rochdale Road, Oldham Road, Swan Street, and Thompson Street — in 2015. Over the years, developers have moved in and built hundreds of flats on car parks and industrial buildings.

Now, one of the last few empty pieces of New Cross land is set to be developed, with 99 new flats coming. Planning chiefs have recommended councillors give the green light to Cross Keys Estates’ plan to construct an L-shaped part-eight, part-nine storey apartment building.

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Of the 99 homes, ‘there would be four one-bed townhouses; five two-bed townhouses; one three-bed townhouse; 27 one-bed apartments; and 62 two-bed apartments’, a report said.

It added: “There would be two bike stores, a refuse storage area and other ancillary equipment and three one-bed townhouses on the lower ground floor. The upper ground floor level includes seven townhouses. The building would be L shape, with blocks of eight and nine storeys and predominantly light brick and precast concrete. Chamfered corners correspond to the character of older buildings in the area.”

There will be no car parking spaces at the development, documents revealed, but there will be 100 bicycle parking spaces.

No affordable housing is in the plans as they stand, prompting planners to ask the developers to review the feasibility of including affordable homes later down the line. The final decision will be made at a planning committee meeting on Thursday (September 26).