IT'S been thirty long years, but London Road Fire Station has finally been put up for sale by Britannia Hotel Group - recently voted the UK's worst hotel provider for the second year running - following a long-running battle with Manchester City Council and campaigners.
We will be watching developments with cautious hope
Specialist leisure and hospitality agents Christie & Co have been instructed by the hotel chain to market the Grade II-listed structure opposite Piccadilly Station - listed on the English Hertiage 'at risk register' since 1998 - as a hotel for sale.
The news comes four months after the City Council pushed to seize the grande old Edwardian Baroque structure (by Woodhouse, Willoughby and Langham, 1906) through a second Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) - three years after the first CPO was rejected by Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles.
In 2010 the hotel group, owned by Alex Langsam, revealed plans to convert the structure into a 227-bed, four-star hotel. However, since their acquisiton of the site in 1986, Britannia have reneged on numerous commitments to begin work and the building has fallen into grave disrepair.
London Road Fire Station has fallen into grave disrepair since Brittania acquired the site in 1986Tenacious campaign group, Friends of London Road Fire Station, who recently met with Manchester City Council CEO Sir Howard Bernstein and Head of City Centre Regeneration, Pat Bartoli, to push forward the sale have announced their joy at the news.
Emma Curtin, Chair of the Friends, said: “We are thrilled that Britannia has invited Christie & Co to market the building because our desire has always been for an owner who will restore this beautiful Grade II-listed building and develop it sympathetically for mixed use. Naturally we would like to see any new owner do just that and if it changes hands, we shall approach them to work with us."
The Piccadilly area of Manchester is the subject of ambitious regeneration plans as part of the HS2 Piccadilly strategic regeneration framework. Proposals, together with those for the neighbouring Mayfield area, could see the integration of the Piccadilly and HS2 stations as well as hefty investment and development including 4,500 new homes, 625,000 sq m of commercial office space and 100,000 sq m of retail space.
A Manchester City Council spokesman said: “The regeneration of the Piccadilly area is at a pivotal stage and the re-use of the London Road Fire Station as a hotel will improve the appearance of the wider area, create new jobs and maximise the opportunities created through HS2. The council supports the sale of this important landmark building."
Adam Prince, Secretary of the Friends, added: “This is exciting news and we hope this will finally signal the end to the planning stalemate. We will be watching developments with cautious hope. In the meantime, our work continues for developing public outreach and engagement.
