Green light for Manchester's new skyscraper

Tuesday, 28 October 2003 12:00 AM

Manchester has been given the green light to build the highest residential building in the UK.

The 47-storey glass skyscraper will be 561ft tall and is to be built in Deansgate in the city centre.

The tower's cost is estimated at £150 million.

Work on Beetham Tower will begin in February of next year. A completion date of 2006 has been set. The building will house more than 200 apartments and several penthouses as well as a five-star Hilton hotel and the new Passport Office.

Over 90 per cent of the apartments have already been sold. Twelve of the 16 penthouses are still up for grabs. Prices range from £100,000 to £3 million for the coveted top-floor penthouse.

It is reported that Liverpool and England footballer Michael Owen has bought an apartment.

Councillor Tony Burns, chair of Manchester City Council's planning committee, said: "The city council welcomes the increase in economic growth and local employment opportunities which result from high quality developments such as this one," he said.

The tallest building in Manchester at present is the CIS building, which stands at 387ft. The tallest residential building in the UK is the Barbican in London, at an impressive 420ft. The tallest building in the UK is One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, London, which towers over the capital at 773ft.

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