Gary Neville's 'sky bar' city centre plans faces fresh opposition

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Plans for a rooftop bar at Gary Neville 's long-awaited city centre development are facing fresh opposition from neighbours, councillors and town hall staff.

Work on the £200m St Michael's development is set to start this month after suffering a series of setbacks since the scheme first surfaced many years ago.

The redevelopment of Jackson's Row off Albert Square was finally approved in 2018 following a long-running saga sparked by a huge backlash to the plans.

READ MORE: The big developments set to change the face of Manchester in 2022

The plans were radically redrawn after Historic England strongly criticised the proposal, warning it would cause a 'high level of harm' to the historic town hall.

The green light was eventually given for the revised plans which featured a five-star boutique hotel, office space, bars, restaurants and a public garden.

The first phase of the development - which will see a nine-storey office block built at the former Bootle Street police station site instead of the five-star boutique hotel in the original plans - is finally due to get under way this year.

The latest plans include a rooftop restaurant accommodating 900 guests.

But an application for an alcohol licence at the '10th Floor Sky Bar' has received objections from residents, councillors and licensing officers.

The application submitted by St Michaels UK Propco Limited seeks a licence to sell alcohol until 3am all week except for Sunday when the bar would close at 1am – but the rooftop restaurant would remain open for another half hour.

If granted, the premises licence also would allow for live music until 3am.

One objector who lives in the Great Northern Tower said their apartment has become 'almost unlivable' due to the