Demolition begins on Historic Manchester Hotspur Press building begins major fire

ITV News

5 days ago

Demolition has started at Manchester's historic Hotspur Press after a huge fire tore through the site.
The blaze, on 23 June gutted the 1800s mill—once a printing press—forcing over 100 residents to evacuate and halting trains near Oxford Road.
Part of the building collapsed, and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) later said it was too dangerous to investigate inside. A partial demolition was deemed necessary.
Work is now underway, with the most damaged sections—near Starbucks and HOME—expected to come down overnight Saturday 13 June, when nearby rail lines are shut.
Only structures posing an 'imminent risk to the public' will be demolished.
Developer Manner previously proposed a 36-storey student tower retaining the mill's façade. MCR Property Group, the building's owner, said: 'Every care is being taken to protect what remains of the structure.'A spokesperson said: "Since the devastating fire at Hotspur Press two weeks ago, MCR Property Group, as the building's owner, has been working closely with the developer Manner, Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Greater Manchester Police to ensure the site is made safe."Following a Section 78 notice issued by Manchester City Council Building Control, certain areas of the building have been identified for demolition to remove risk to the public."These works are now under way, including the clearance of Gloucester Street from remaining fire debris. Every care is being taken to protect what remains of the structure."
They continued: "Where possible, materials will be recovered and retained for potential future reuse, in a way that respects the site's heritage."We recognise the cultural significance of Hotspur Press and remain committed to preserving what we can, while acting responsibly to ensure safety."This phase of safety works is expected to complete early next week, after which we will reconvene with stakeholders to agree the next steps."The priority will be to ensure the site is safe for investigation teams to access, while continuing to protect and save what we can."
They added efforts are being made to salvage materials where possible, in recognition of the site's heritage.
The safety phase is expected to finish early next week. GMFRS said they are not currently on-site but will likely return once the area is safe for investigation.