Doubling MediaCityUK

The excellent Place North West reports that the Peel Group has lodged a planning application for Phase 2 of MediacityUK. Unbowed by the recession, the proposal is for a total of 4.9m square feet.  Of that, 2.3m would be for offices - and a remarkable 1.2m for car parking. Subject to design, that could be space for 3,500 cars. But then Phase 2 will have a much shorter pedestrian route to Old Trafford...

By my reckoning, there's still 100,000 sq feet of space left above ITV in the Orange Building - and probably other bits and bobs around Phase 1, in the White and Blue buildings.  Phase 1 used 36 acres of the potential 200 (see below) available to Peel, and has 770,000 sq ft of offices, 378 apartments, a 218-bed Holiday Inn hotel, 80,000 sq ft of retail, and a 2,300-space car park. Phase 2, at a glance, will dwarf it, if it all gets built.  If it all gets built, the BBC and ITV will have builders for neighbours for quite some time. There's no word of which architects might be involved; the planners are Alastair Bain and Sheila Wright, of the Liverpool-based Bain Wright Partnership - and public comments are only open until 25 January.

• 0800 Thursday update - Peel's press release is out - all measured in sq metres ! "Ultimate aim of creating a new town centre for Salford Quays.