JRL targets 2026 start for 28-storey Sparkle Street tower

Construction group JRL and its development partner Central and Urban are aiming to begin work in the second quarter of 2026 on a 359-home build-to-rent scheme on Sparkle Street in Manchester, following formal planning approval.

Manchester City Council granted permission for the project on 29 October. Designed by SimpsonHaugh Architects, the scheme will deliver a 28-storey residential tower at the corner of Store Street and Sparkle Street, approximately 100 metres from Manchester Piccadilly Station.

The development will comprise 354 apartments and five townhouses. It will include a series of private terraces, internal and external amenity spaces, and no on-site car parking. Instead, accessible parking will be provided on Store Street through the relocation of existing bays, while 359 secure cycle storage spaces - equivalent to one per home - will be included. The scheme is to be delivered by Midgard, the contracting arm of the JRL Group.

Resident facilities are a key part of the design, with internal amenity areas proposed at the ground, 10th and 26th floors. A southeast-facing communal garden will be located on the first floor, and a rooftop terrace will adjoin the 10th-floor lounge.

The highest amenity space, on level 26, is designed to offer panoramic views across the city. At ground level, an enlarged entrance lobby will provide space for social interaction, remote working, concierge services, and potentially a health and wellbeing centre.

The tower’s location, near Manchester Piccadilly and between routes leading to the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live Arena, places it within a key strategic regeneration area. The developers are now working towards Building Safety Act Gateway 2 approval.