Manchester City Council has approved the masterplan for a £120 million sustainable super-campus for Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in Hulme, designed by UK based architecture practice John McAslan & Partners. A report was submitted to the City Council's Executive on June 24 to consider the University's proposals. There will now be a three-month period of public consultation to refine and develop a detailed proposal with the local community before a more formal planning application is made.
The new Birley Fields Campus proposal represents a significant and exciting chapter in the regeneration of Hulme, which was the site of the biggest slum clearance in Europe during the 1960s. The MMU proposal would breathe new life into a 12 hectare site that has been earmarked for development since the 1990s. Birley Fields Campus would create around 340 jobs, boost local shops and services by adding £29million additional annual value to the economies of Hulme and neighbouring Moss Side, and open new paths to higher education for local people.
Bordered by Stretford Road, Royce Road and Princess Road, the integrated ‘community campus’ would house the university's teacher training and health faculties, educating up to 6,000 professionals for the region's schools, hospitals, health and social services.
The objective is to establish an environmentally sustainable campus and a test bed for research and evaluation of new models of sustainability within an urban environment. Its significant size allows for large areas of greening and landscaping and, at its heart, an extensive green space linked to surrounding areas of trees and grassland. An open square area would be entirely accessible to the community and buildings will be designed to incorporate the latest environmental technologies to minimise carbon, water and waste and maximise ecology, and supported by a sustainable travel plan.
Aidan Potter, Director at John McAslan & Partners said, “The MMU masterplan complements the city’s strategies for regeneration, public services and sustainable development. The planned £120 million investment is a huge statement of confidence in Hulme - especially in a period of economic recession - and will create worldclass higher education facilities linked and embedded in the local community.
Planning a new integrated campus has also facilitated a groundbreaking approach to environmental sustainability. We anticipate that the campus would be the greenest in the UK. Currently urban campus developments are often restricted by existing services and planning constraints, however by creating a mixed-use estate with integrated activities we can reduce energy consumption, minimise waste, maximise passive natural resources, harvest and recycle rainwater and build in flexibility. The project will also enable us to develop and test cutting-edge solutions for the future.”
MMU Vice-Chancellor Professor John Brooks said, "A brand new campus is not only good news for students and staff but puts the university into the heart of the community it serves creating jobs and opportunity and helping to address crucial agendas for the city on health and education.
The University plans to transform Birley Fields into a lively place of education, with a new public square and shared community facilities on the most sustainable campus in the UK.”
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said, "MMU's proposal has the potential to herald a new chapter in the regeneration of Hulme. As well as the jobs it directly creates there will be significant spin-off benefits for businesses as students and staff spend money in the area. Crucially, it will also open up new higher education opportunities for local people."
The £120 million scheme is part of a £400 million investment in MMU campuses across Manchester and Cheshire.