Whitbread and Ask Real Estate unite on new plans for Deansgate Locks
MIxed-use residential and workplace scheme planned for Premier Inn Deansgate Locks hotel site
Whitbread, the UK’s leading hotel business, and top Manchester based property company, Ask Real Estate, are bringing forward plans to redevelop the site of the Manchester Deansgate Premier Inn into a mixed-use development consisting of 370 homes and a 13-storey workplace.
The redevelopment, called One Medlock Street, will be the latest development in the First Street regeneration area, one of Manchester’s most vibrant new neighbourhoods. It will transform the gateway city centre site into two new landmark buildings connected to the emerging neighbourhood through well-designed new public spaces.
Whitbread, which owns the Deansgate hotel freehold, is partnering with Ask Real Estate on the plans as it delivers on its network strategy for the city. The business operates four hotels in Manchester city centre and is continuing to invest in the city with a new 158-bedroom Premier Inn hotel at Princes Street, a short walk from the Deansgate Locks hotel, scheduled to open in the new year.
Richard Pearson, Senior Development Manager for Whitbread, said:
“Manchester is one of the most popular locations for Premier Inn customers. As we look forward to 2021 and beyond, we want to ensure our Manchester hotels are in the best possible locations and provide a consistently good experience for our guests.
“Our decision to redevelop the site of Deansgate Locks Premier Inn reflects this strategy. In a few weeks’ time our new hotel at Princes Street will open to guests, bringing our latest format bedrooms to the popular Deansgate micro-market and strengthening our offer to the south of the city centre.
“The opening presents an opportunity to realise the true potential of the Deansgate Locks site, by creating high-quality homes and workplace accommodation at an important gateway to the city centre, whilst generating funds to reinvest in our estate across the city and elsewhere.”
One Medlock Street is designed by Jon Matthews Architects, who have led the design of several landmark developments in the city including Axis, Oxygen and Brazennose House, to high sustainability standards.
A public consultation on the proposals is planned in January 2021 where Ask and Whitbread will seek the feedback of residents, stakeholders and team members on the plans. A planning application for the development is expected to be submitted to Manchester City Council in early 2021.
John Hughes, Managing Director of Ask Real Estate, said:
“We have been preparing for the planning application submission since last summer and are now delighted to return with our JV partner, Whitbread, with updated plans for the site, at a time when all of us are looking for some more positive news.
“The transformational change in the neighbouring First Street community which we have delivered over the past ten years has created one of the major success stories in the city, and our proposals for One Medlock Street will deliver more high quality living and working spaces which will further boost the city’s economy while fitting in with local government priorities post pandemic.”
***ENDS***
Media contact
• James Anderson, Property Communications Manager, at Whitbread on james.anderson@whitbread.com / 07850 944798
• Michael Clare at Turley on 07867 163 415 or michael.clare@turley.co.uk
Notes to editors
• The 370 new homes proposed as part of One Medlock Street will be accommodated in a 41-storey residential building.
About Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is the owner of the UK’s favourite hotel chain, Premier Inn with over 800 hotels comprising over 78,000 rooms and restaurant brands including Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Bar + Block, Whitbread Inns and Cookhouse + Pub.
Outside of the UK, Whitbread’s expansion plans are focused on Germany and Ireland. Whitbread has an open and committed pipeline of 12,000 hotel rooms across 68 hotels in Germany, with a line of sight to around 60,000 rooms, as it works to grow Premier Inn into the number one budget hotel operator in the country.
Whitbread’s sustainability strategy, ‘Force for Good’, is focused on helping the company’s customers, team members and suppliers to live and work well. The strategy is grouped into three key pillars of Opportunity, Community and Responsibility with long-term strategic commitments set for each. Click here for more information on the Force for Good strategy and how we measure and report against our objectives.
About Ask Real Estate
Established in 2000, Ask has built a reputation for being a leader in multi-partner developments, featuring some of the most creative and bold concepts in regeneration, enjoying outstanding working relationships with both the public and private sector. The Manchester based company now boasts a portfolio of 20 separate projects, comprising over 3 million sq ft of floorspace and generating an end value of £800 million.
Recently completed is 100 Embankment, the second of two phases of Grade A BREEAM Excellent commercial offices which has created a new civic centre for Salford. The company’s flagship scheme at First Street in Manchester city centre is continuing to expand with the next phase of development scheduled to be on site in 2021.
While Ask is proud of its rich heritage in Manchester and the North West, it has recently expanded into other regions having been chosen by Gateshead Council to partner on the delivery of a £220 million arena-led scheme on the River Tyne. In Newcastle city centre Ask is also developing a new £70,000 sq ft head office for housing association Home Group.
