Manchester’s Hotspur Press has been in need of some TLC for a long, long time. The printing press, just around the corner from Oxford Road Station, shut in 1996 and the building has been allowed to fall into disrepair ever since. Now, though, it could finally be revived.
Planning permission has been secured to transform the derelict building into a 595-bedroom student residence. It will become a 37-storey tower that will include commercial units, green spaces and a public square. The scheme also involves an initiative to enhance the nearby River Medlock area.
As a bit of background, Hotspur Press first opened as a cotton mill in 1801. Then, in the late 1800s, it became a printing works owned by Percy Brothers Ltd. That closed for business in 1996 and the building has gone through various stages as artist studios and a print shop since then. It’s been officially empty since 2017.
Manner, the developers behind the plans, says the work will ‘preserve much of the existing brick façade and celebrate the heritage of the building’. The 19th century building will keep its original ‘Hotspur Press’ and ‘Percy Brothers’ signage but parts of it will have to be demolished for the new development.
It comes after years of delayed and cancelled plans for the old cotton mill and printing press. Proposals to turn it into a 27-storey block were approved back in 2020 but never seen through.
Building is expected to start in early 2025 and the revamp will hopefully be finished in time for the 2028 academic year.
Historic Britain
If there’s one thing the UK has in spades — it’s super old buildings. But they cost a lot of money to preserve and a lot of them are slowly crumbing. These are the UK’s 10 most endangered Victorian buildings right now, these places have been labelled ‘at risk’ and this beloved heritage railway in England could soon close if enough money isn’t raised. In more positive news, loads of new sites were recently given protected status by Historic England.
Did you see that a new scenic rail route through the beautiful Yorkshire Dales has just launched?
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