In a milestone worth celebrating, we’ve submitted plans to transform our Oakley Gardens site in Fallowfield into a new residential neighbourhood providing 53 homes.
Located at 188 Wilmslow Road, next to Platt Fields Park, the site was formerly the headquarters of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) and currently comprises the original Oakley Villa alongside a series of later office extensions and surface parking.
We always look to build what matters now and in the future, and at Oakley Gardens we’ve worked with locals to develop something that will reinvigorate the space while also delivering something that will be embraced by the community.
Creating homes for Fallowfield
At the heart of the proposals are 42 new three and four-bedroom houses, alongside 11 one and two-bedroom apartments created as part of the conversion of the existing villa.
The result is set to be 53 new homes designed which create a new residential neighbourhood in a highly connected part of South Manchester.
Community engagement has played an important role in developing our plans. Our public consultation was incredibly well attended and gave us an opportunity to hear directly from the people who know the neighbourhood best.
The community spoke and we listened. People wanted to see family housing in the area and that’s what we’ve reflected in the scheme. 42 of the 53 proposed homes are three or four-bedroom houses, creating new opportunities for people and families to put down roots in the area and join the already thriving community.
The design itself has also evolved following feedback from the public consultation and discussions with Manchester City Council. Changes have included reducing the number of homes along Wilmslow Road, repositioning homes around existing trees, increasing areas of soft landscaping and making further changes to the layout to get the perfect balance.
This is what meaningful engagement should do. We didn’t go to the community with a finished idea and try to sell them on it. We went with open ears, embracing the conversation and using it to inform the place we wanted to create. Working this way allowed the local community to feel part of the process.
Making more of what’s already there
The existing buildings on the site have served a celebrated purpose over the years, so we didn’t want our approach to just be about replacing them with new ones.
The original Oakley Villa sits at the centre of the plot and forms an important part of our plans. We’re planning to remove the later twentieth-century additions to the site, allowing the original building to stand prominently within the development once again.
If planning is approved, we’ll perform a sensitive refurbishment of the villa to preserve its history while also bringing it into modern utility by converting it into new homes. Original architectural features, including the grand staircase, decorative ceilings, stained-glass windows, timber panelling and fireplaces, will be celebrated throughout.
Around it, the new homes have been designed in response to their surroundings. Along Langley Road, for example, their scale, proportions and building line respond to the existing terraced homes opposite. While the intervention will bring a new look to the area, it will be in step with what’s there currently, blending with it rather than fighting against it.
We’ve also given the same consideration to the landscaping. We’ll be retaining mature trees across the site, including those protected by Tree Preservation Orders, while new planting and increased soft landscaping will help create an attractive setting for the villa and new homes.
We’re always dedicated to recognising the qualities that are already present on the site, emphasising them and using them as the starting point for something better.
Building what matters
When done well, development reinvigorates places, creates social value and supports the wellbeing of the local community. It can take sites that are no longer working as they should and give them a renewed role within their neighbourhoods.
We’ve already seen the strength of the community surrounding Oakley Gardens first-hand and we’re passionate about working with them to create something that will truly matter now and in the future.
With the planning application now submitted, we’re excited to take Oakley Gardens another step closer to reality.