Plans have been unveiled to demolish a former office building in Hulme and replace it with more than 160 new homes. St George's House on Chester Road, once the headquarters of financial advisors Beever & Struthers, could make way for two apartment blocks containing 162 flats.
Site history and current use
Beever & Struthers relocated to Ancoats in 2022, and the vacant property has since been boarded up and sold to developers. Glenbrook, which has acquired the land, is proposing to create an 'attractive, sustainable development that responds positively to Hulme's character while delivering much-needed homes'.
Proposed development details
The plans involve two blocks of one, two, and three-bedroom dwellings arranged parallel to each other around a shared courtyard with landscaping and play areas. A six-storey tower would run along Chester Road, opposite the significantly taller DeTrafford building, while a shorter four-storey block would be built on Anne Nuttall Road, opposite a row of terraced homes.
Consultation and feedback
Glenbrook has not yet submitted a planning application to the council but has launched a public consultation seeking input from neighbours, businesses, and community groups. Feedback sessions will be held at New Hope International Ministry on Tatton Street on Thursday 13 August, 4-7pm, and Tuesday 18 August, 1-4pm. Tim Groom Architects, supporting the development, has also launched an online consultation.
Michael Watson, development manager at Glenbrook, said the plans have 'evolved significantly' in conversation with Manchester City Council, with a focus on 'creating a distinctive place and high-quality homes' that fits with the surrounding area in Hulme.
Other developments and context
Glenbrook is also working on plans to redevelop Church Street car park in the Northern Quarter, where an underused 685-space multi-storey parking lot could make way for around 600 new homes and four new town squares. The Hulme site has been earmarked for demolition since 2024 and has become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour and crime, including a stabbing of a 19-year-old man on the road outside on July 31.
