Plans have been unveiled for a £3m green development of over 40 apartments in Manchester city centre, including 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and 4,500 sqft of commercial space.

The Princess Street development is on a large site that has been left derelict for over ten years, but is in a popular residential and commercial area of the city.

The development by Beech Properties will include one- and two-bedroom apartments and 4,500 sq ft of commercial space.

The scheme is the brainchild of green pioneer and landlord Stephen Beech, who is a member of the RLA. He already has an extensive portfolio of student accommodation and has been dubbed Manchester’s Mr Carbon Neutral after installing over £1m worth of solar panels on his properties.

Beech said “There’s a growing demand for energy-efficient properties for young professionals in Manchester’s rental market. With mor professionals staying in rented properties for longer, they are becoming as environmentally savvy and energy conscious as home owners.”

The scheme will include solar panels, a biomass boiler and a heat recovery system. The Beech Properties in-house lettings team will act as the agent, with properties becoming available to rent from 2014.

Beech said he is planning to expand his green refurbishment of city centre buildings and is currently looking at other opportunities.

He bought his first buy-to-let property in 2001 and now has a £20m portfolio.