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A 20-storey office block designed by Ian Simpson Architects is set to be granted planning permission by Manchester council today despite opposition from English Heritage and a conservation advisory panel whose members include architects.

The scheme, No 1 Spinningfields, involves the demolition of the eight-storey 1960s office block Quay House, on Quay Street, in the city centre, and its replacement with the 121 metre-tall Simpson-designed structure..

Despite supporting the replacement of Quay House, English Heritage said the Simpson scheme should be rejected as it would 鈥渉ave a harmful impact鈥� on the settings of several heritage assets, including grade II*-listed Cobden House, Sunlight House, Royal London House, the Opera House and on three nearby conservation areas.

It called on developer Allied London to focus its efforts on a 10-storey alternative scheme referred to in documents submitted alongside the planning application.

Manchester Conservation Areas and Historic 好色先生TVs Panel said the development would be 鈥渉ighly visible鈥� in the St John Street Conservation Area 鈥� which is home to Cobden House 鈥� resulting in 鈥渁 highly unfortunate impact on the character of this area鈥�.

The group said the proposals also lacked 鈥渁 sense of rhythm鈥� with the street scene that the existing Quay House possessed.

鈥淭he proposed building requires two faces 鈥� one towards the more historic environment across and along Quay Street and the second towards the larger-scale, highly contemporary Spinningfields area,鈥� they said.

鈥淐urrently the proposal responds only to Spinningfields although even here it would be substantially 鈥榦ver-scaled鈥� compared to the recent Spinningfields developments and would make adjacent listed buildings appear somewhat insignificant.鈥�

City council planners accepted that the construction of the new development would affect the setting of Cobden House, but insisted 鈥渋ts heritage value could still be appreciated and understood鈥� and recommended it for approval.

They said the block would complement the local 鈥渉igh standard of design鈥� and would redevelop a key city-centre site that was currently under-used.

鈥淭he development would help to create a dynamic and vibrant streetscape and would enhance its sustainability as a whole, as well as improving the settings of the surrounding heritage assets,鈥� they said.

Officers added that the the cantilever proposed for No 1 Spinningfields would open up new views of Cobden House.

Predominantly clad in glass, the main structure will provide office space, along with ground-floor retail and restaurant uses, and a restaurant and double-height terrace on its 18^th floor.

An eight-storey component of the development to the west is earmarked to provide ground- and mezzanine-floor retail space, and will have a bay that cantilevers over the structure鈥檚 double-height ground-floor level on Quay Street.