Manchester City Council planning officers gave Hong Kong developer Far East Consortium the thumbs up on Thursday.

It aims to build four separate blocks of apartments around the fringes of Angel Meadow park, the tallest rising to 40 storeys on the corner with Gould Street.

The scheme is also backed by the Co-op, which brought in FEC to develop the £235m residential scheme, designed by architect 5plus with WSP as engineering services provider.

Now building work is expected to begin in early 2018 with the first homes complete in 2019.

During the four-year construction period the vast site will support an estimated 750 construction jobs annually.

Plot 2: a 22-storey residential development plus one basement level with commercial uses and residential amenity uses at ground level.

• Plot 3: a 17-storey residential development plus one basement level with commercial uses and residential amenity uses at ground level.

Buildings on plot 2 and 3

• Plot 4: a 40-storey landmark residential development with commercial uses and residential amenity uses plus one lower ground level and one basement level

• Plot 5: a part 9-storey and part 12-storey residential development with residential amenity uses at ground level.

Plot five building plan

The first phase of Angel Meadow to launch will be plots two and three, which are situated on Aspin Lane.

Later phases will include a 41-storey landmark residential tower with retail and leisure space on the ground floor and 333 large apartments.

Rob Bignold, head of commercial and investment property at The Co-op, added: “We are delighted that planning permission for Angel Meadow has been granted and look forward to construction starting next year.

“High quality residential is central to our vision of NOMA being a work-live-play neighbourhood and will support Manchester’s continued growth by helping the city attract and retain crucial talent.”