This week: The North-west

Manchester trio - Work on the second and third of Union North's 3 Towers for Urban Splash is about to begin. The three 12-storey, 1960s blocks in Manchester have long been derelict, but are now being reclad with real timber veneer and given new, irregular windows. The £12 million project includes 62 studio, one and two bed apartments

Changing Blackpool - TV star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen officially opened Blackpool's new gateway last week. The mixed-use development, which cost £14 million, includes a new urban park, 650 car parking spaces and new sports facilities, including two 20m-high climbing towers. Originally a railway line leading into Central Station, the road was created in the mid-1980s over the line of the old track.

Core quality - Three primary schools in Cheshire have won 2006 Green Apple Awards for sustainable development. TV naturalist David Bellamy presented the awards to Kingsmead Primary in Northwich, by White Design Architects, Wistaston Green Primary in Crewe and Hoole Primary in Chester. All three schools were classed as "gold standard" for using natural ventilation extensively, having rainwater-flushing toilets, solar panels, wind-powered generators and using recycled building materials.

Oldham school deal - Oldham Council has signed a £58 million, 25-year education PFI deal with Academy Services, a joint venture between Kier Group and Dexia Public Finance Bank, using Architects Co Partnership. The contract is for new secondary schools at Failsworth and Radclyffe, which were granted planning permission in February. They will be Oldham's first new mainstream secondary schools since 1968.

Liverpool mix - A mixed-use scheme in Liverpool has been submitted for planning by Austin-Smith Lord. The Renshaw Hall project comprises 89 apartments, 76 mews houses and more than 1,500sq m of commercial space. Austin-Smith Lord says the building's design reflects recent, large scale developments in the area while knitting into the existing fabric of 18th and 19th century architecture. At its highest point the building is eight storeys tall.

Serving Chester - A site at the University of Chester has been named a potential location for the city's first tennis centre. The Hoole Lawn Tennis Club may be relocated to the site instead of building a new centre over allotments near its current location. The city council said that all parties involved were "cautiously optimistic" that an agreement could be reached.