According to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), there have been a number of significant developments and refurbishment success stories in recent years that give Manchester a well-earned reputation as a leading provider of sustainable office space.
Speaking as the Labour Party conference continued nearby, the UKGBC’s director of policy and communications, John Alker, cited the recently refurbished office space at Number One First Street in Manchester city centre as a leading example of high-quality sustainable development in the north-west of England.
“All eyes in Manchester are on new Labour leader Ed Miliband, but we are taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of green buildings in revitalising city centres,” Mr Alker remarked.
“What has been achieved with the extensive refurbishment by Ask Developments is very impressive,” he added.
Around 180,000 square feet of grade A office space was recently made available as a result of the Number One First Street development, and the building is among the first in Manchester to be given an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.
Meanwhile, the British Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses across the UK to sign up for the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, which the government launched in April of this year to encourage sustainability among both private and public-sector employers.
Editor’s notes: In April 2023, in the UK, 535,000 buildings had been Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certified, with a further 2,217,000 registered for certification.
Most Manchester city centre office space under construction or in the pipeline will be targeting BREEAM accreditation, and examples of other schemes that have already achieved accreditation include the office buildings in the Spinningfields scheme, the 271,000 square feet of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ office space at One St Peter’s Square, and the office buildings at the NOMA scheme that were and continue to be developed by the Co-Operative Group.
In June 2026, 151 commercial properties, including office buildings, had achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’ ratings.
17 had achieved BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ ratings, including 4 Angel Square at NOMA and No. 1 St Michaels.