Following the approval of our regeneration plans (reference: 138805/FO/2023) by Manchester City Council Planning Committee on 30th May, an anonymous individual has made an application for the building to be listed.

This is the second time this request has been made; Historic England and DCMS considered a similar request 5 years ago and turned the application down.

The Hotspur Press is not statutorily listed as a building of ‘Special Architectural or Historic Interest’.  The building’s status is that of a ‘non-designated heritage asset’ reflecting its industrial heritage.

The approved planning application is a conservation based scheme designed to secure the future of the building but adapt it so it is fit for occupation and given a new lease of life.

The listing application has been made to Historic England who are the governing body required to make a recommendation on whether the building should be listed to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Historic England have recently inspected the building and are giving 21 days for anyone to write to them with their views about the potential listing before submitting a report to DCMS.

A final decision will then be made by the Secretary of State for DCMS.

If the building is listed, it will impact our ability to deliver our proposals approved by Manchester City Council Planning Committee, including:

• Restoring the historic 1801 and 1880 façades.

• Preserving the iconic Percy Brothers signage.

• Delivering 595 student rooms, including 60 rooms for affordable rent.

• Creating a new 10,000 sq. ft. community-focused public square.  

• Provide new commercial space for Manchester businesses, in turn creating local jobs.

• Landscaping the public realm, planting new trees, and with the ambition to enhance the adjacent River Medlock, enriching the wildlife and biodiversity of the area. 

If the building is listed, a listed building application will have to be submitted and the planning application reconsidered. This will not only delay the scheme for up to two years, the development may have to be changed or may never be realised. The rate of deterioration of The Hotspur Press means any delay could place the survival of the building in jeopardy. Rather than preserving this building, the listing and subsequent delays puts the structure at risk of it being condemned given its very poor current condition.

Manchester has one of the largest student populations in the UK (over 83,000 in 2021/22) and demand for well-managed, high-quality student accommodation far exceeds the available supply. This is due to several factors, but is mainly the result of the increasing interest in Manchester as a prime destination for learning, together with its global cultural status. 

Without there being appropriate accommodation for students there is additional pressure on the city’s housing market with students taking existing homes that could be lived in by others.  Expanding the supply of student accommodation in this part of the city through the delivery of student accommodation at The Hotspur Press provides a solution to this issue.

A commitment has been made for a number of mitigation measures to be adopted throughout the construction stage to minimise any impact on our site neighbours. These measures include a Construction Environmental Management Plan and a Construction Traffic Management Plan to be agreed with MCC Highways.

The regeneration proposal is the vision of the award-winning architect Stephen Hodder. The works will be delivered by the new owners (purchase subject to the planning consent) Manner, a specialist regeneration developer.

Manner, working in partnership with Home for Students, a leading and nationally represented, award-winning student accommodation management company.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please get in touch - info@hotspurpress.co.uk