Work on controversial south Manchester development set to finish in spring

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The controversial redevelopment of Hough End Leisure Centre is set to finish at the end of March, it has been revealed. Hough End has been the subject of a fierce battle between the council, acting as a developer, and campaigners who were unhappy over the loss of green space by creating 127 car parking spaces.

The Save Hough End Fields group campaigned heavily to protect green areas on the south Manchester site as the council approved a £12m redevelopment in 2022. “It's a beggar's belief that they’ve insisted on going ahead with this given the current circumstances,” said Peter Lythgoe, from Save Hough End Fields, when construction teams moved in in summer 2022. Try MEN Premium now for FREE...

just click here to give it a go. “We’ve just had the greatest heatwave on record. What is needed is the protection of green spaces and habitats and this has just been steam rollered through.” Now, new documents submitted to the council have revealed that the project will finish at the end of March.

However, a formal opening date for the revamped leisure centre has not been given. The revelation has come from a planning application which seeks to give developers another two years to install electric vehicle charging at the centre, which were originally planned to be completed with the rest of the project. “The development is due to be brought into use by the end of March, so your assistance in progressing to the amendment of condition 28 [on EV charging] before then would be most welcome,” a letter from Ellis Williams architects said.