City Centre Campaigner Anthony McCaul and City Centre Town Hall Chief Pat Karney are celebrating after Manchester Council’s Planning Committee backed their call for the Peel Development at Jackson’s Wharf to be turned down.

Anthony and Pat had called for the Committee to reject the plan and send a strong message to Peel to go back to the drawing board and look at the scale and design of the development. Over 100 local residents opposed the plans and made representations to the Committee. The Pride of Manchester website, with assistance from the City Action Team, organised a last minute campaign against the development.

After the Committee refused the development Anthony said: “I’m really pleased that the Planning Committee are minded to reject this proposal. They’ve told Peel to go back and consult further with local residents and to change this space-age design which has no place, in its current form, in Castlefield. We’re going to call a public meeting with residents, and invite Peel and Hale Leisure who own a neighbouring problem site, to talk about the future of this area.”

Councillor Karney said: “This is the first City Centre application which has been turned down in 5 years. This is a great result for the City Action Team and I’m pleased that, with the help of residents, Anthony and I have delivered for local people.”