Residents' Fury as Glass Towers Get Go Ahead

10.28.55pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 19th Feb 2007

Local residents are furious that plans for a 16 storey glass tower at the corner of Princess Street and Whitworth in Manchester's City Centre have been given the go-ahead by the Labour-dominated Planning Committee at its meeting on 15th February 2007.

Despite last-minute pleas from residents to members of the Planning Committee, who visited the site, developers West Properties were given the go-ahead at a later meeting held on the same day. Many residents were outraged that Liberal Democrat members of the Planning Committee were prevented from speaking by the Chairman. Complaints about the conduct of the meeting have been made to the City Solicitor.

At a packed meeting of the Planning Committee, City Centre Lib Dem Cllr Marc Ramsbottom spoke out in support of residents objections and said that the plans were monolithic and out of keeping with the character of the listed buildings that surround the site:

"The design completely disregards the identifiable characteristics and scale of the height of the existing buildings", he said.

Speaking after the meeting he added: "It seems that big business and corporate greed have won out over the interests of local residents and the lesbian and gay community".

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