Five huge new skyscrapers containing 2,388 flats are set to be built in Deansgate — and one could become Manchester's tallest building.

The towers, all proposed by developer giant Renaker, have been recommended to receive planning permission next week. All five sit on land Renaker owns on Great Jackson Street, sandwiched between the Deansgate Square and Mancunian Way.

The tallest of the five is called Plot D, which will be 71 storeys tall. Should it get planning permission, it will surpass Deansgate Square South Tower — another Renaker effort — as the city's tallest building at 213 metres (698 ft) tall.

Thursday's (August 29) planning meeting will therefore fire the starting gun on a race between Renaker and rival developer Salboy, which unveiled plans for a 76-storey skyscraper earlier this year, which would be taller still than Plot D. It means if Renaker wants to hold onto its crown of the firm behind the behemoths, it will need to construct and open Plot D faster than Salboy can do Viadux 2a.

The £300 million Plot D will feature a 'lantern' design at the top, which echoes the motif of a lighthouse, Renkaer says. Starting at the 67th floor, this lantern will house the private residential amenities. 

The Contour building seen from the outside (Image - Renaker)

Those amenities will include lounges, private dining, and meeting rooms on floor 67, and a swimming pool, sauna, and gym on the 68th level, which also extend up to storey 69.

On floor 70, the final level which can be accessed by the public, an 8,200 sq ft (762 sqm) restaurant is planned. It will offer '360 degree views of Manchester' by running alongside 'the full perimeter of the building'.

And diners will one day see four new towers nearby. That's because, like Plot D, plans for two 47 storey and two 51 storey skyscrapers are recommended for planning approval at next week's committee.

The latter four are on the same site, and are called Plot C and Plot E. They will contain 1,746 homes in all — but face stiff opposition after Deansgate Square residents rallied against the proposals.

Some 53 objections have been submitted against the Plot C and E plans, which are branded as Contour. Renaker says Contour will offer 'luxury living for people who appreciate detail', boasting a range of amenities on its website. They include private garden terraces, indoor suites and lounges, a gym, a Peloton spin space, an area to work.

The Contour building would even feature a dog spa (Image - Renaker)

That's alongside a dog spa, Mahjong Room, virtual driving range for golf enthusiasts, and a space called 'The Studio' equipped with microphones — which promotional material shows being used to record a podcast. Contour is one of four skyscrapers listed in a planning application from last year with two 51-storey towers in the bid, alongside two 47-storey buildings.

Towers dominate the committee's agenda, as alongside the five to come in Deansgate, another is eyed for Piccadilly. Developer Northside's plan for 12 and 14-16 Piccadilly has also been recommended for planning approval.

It wants to convert a former bank to an exhibition space and build a 34-storey block next door, containing an aparthotel with 251 bedrooms, a rooftop restaurant and 'fair cost' cafe open to the public — plus a net zero museum.

Other items on the agenda include a bid to convert a former clinic in Abbey Hey into six apartments, and convert a church on Rochdale Road to a 'storage and distribution' hub.

~

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Manchester Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our area.