Latest news with #Manner
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Manchester mill blaze triggers alarm over spate of historic buildings fires
Conservation chiefs have raised fears over a string of fires gutting historic British buildings after a blaze burned down Manchester's earliest surviving textile mill. The Hotspur Press, also known as the Medlock Mill, has been partly demolished to enable 'safe' internal firefighting after it was hit by a major fire on Monday. The historic site dated back to 1801 and was repurposed as a printing press in 1902. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said the city's Fire Rescue Service would undertake a 'rigorous and forensic investigation'. He added that police and fire services will 'use all the powers at their disposal to pursue all necessary action' if there is evidence of criminality. Anya Lucas of the Georgian Group said the blaze was part of a worrying trend of historic sites going up in flames. 'We're noticing an escalation in the number of fires, it's ... a real concern. There's no national way of recording fire damage to historic buildings, but it's going on far too often,' she said. The Manchester site has been slated for redevelopment into a 35-storey student accommodation tower by London-based developer Manner, which filed revised plans for the building in May after taking on the project in 2020. Its plans involved installing aluminium cladding above its historic brickwork. At the same time, it was a contested heritage site, with campaigners calling for the building to gain protected status. Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, rejected a bid to make part of it listed in January. The Georgian Group appealed the decision in the following month, and had been waiting for an update before the fire struck earlier this week. The fire has stoked concerns from conservation specialists that historic buildings are being gutted, whether through arson by the owners, third parties or by accident, at significant cost to Britain's heritage and place-making efforts. Prominent examples include the Crooked House pub in Staffordshire, which was unexpectedly demolished days after it burned down in a suspected arson attack. There was also a suspicious fire at a derelict part of West Yorkshire's Dalton Mills in December last year, months after two teenagers were found guilty of starting an inferno that destroyed much of the historic complex in 2022. There are no allegations that the fire at Hotspur Press was caused by wrongdoing and the blaze is under investigation. Ms Lucas said: 'There's a separate point about what can be done in terms of more active protection, monitoring and recording how often this is happening and then potentially linking it to the development context, because more often than not there is one. It's not always arson, but there often is a link to what's going on in terms of live planning applications. She said it was an issue that the Government needs to engage more on, adding it is an issue that her group is 'keen to work on' with fellow preservation societies'. 'When these [buildings] are lost, you're losing the warp and weft of towns and cities up and down the country. That's an insidious process that cumulatively has a real impact on our heritage nationally,' she added. Thomas Ollivier, the Northern conservation adviser at the Victorian Society, said heritage buildings are 'seen as easy targets'. 'There is an onus on the owner of a building - whether it's the developer, council or private owner- to look after them,' he said. A spokesperson for Historic England noted there have been 'several serious mill fires' in the past decade including at Drummond Mill, Bradford in 2016, and Newsome Mill, Huddersfield in 2016. He added: 'Fires like these can have a devastating effect on local communities who cherish their local heritage.' Nicholas Boys Smith of Create Streets, a think tank, said northern textile mills were as 'precious to our story as Blenheim or Chatsworth'. 'Yet we are letting too many of them slip through our fingers, through decay, indolence or conflagration,' he said. Manner was contacted for comment. A spokesperson previously issued a statement to media outlets that called the fire 'truly heartbreaking'. 'We are absolutely devastated to see the extent of the damage that has been caused, and it is incredibly hard to come to terms with what is now left of this important building,' he said.
ITV News
6 days ago
- General
- ITV News
Historic Manchester Hotspur Press building destroyed in devastating fire as investigation launched
Aerial footage shows the remains of one of Manchester's oldest buildings after a devastating fire. One of Manchester 's most recognisable and historic buildings has been destroyed by a major fire. The derelict Hotspur Press building, beside Oxford Road station in the city centre, erupted into flames on Monday 23 June, with thick smoke clouds seen for miles. The major incident saw trains cancelled, main roads closed and more than 180 residents evacuated from nearby high-rise buildings as emergency services battled to bring the flames under control. At the height of the fire, more than 20 fire engines, two aerial units and more than 100 firefighters were working at the scene, with some working overnight to extinguish the blaze. During the incident, the fire spread to several balconies at the two tower blocks at number 1 Cambridge Street. All occupants made it out of the buildings safely and there are "no reports of any occupants suffering ill health", a Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said. They added: 'Shortly after 9pm, the major incident was lifted. "The occupants of one of those blocks have now been able to return home, while the other remains closed as we work with Manchester City Council and the building owner to make the building habitable again.'Oxford Road station and the railway line have now reopened. Crews are still working on Gloucester Street and the main area around the mill, but the main roads of Whitworth and access off the Mancunian Way have reopened." "Crews will be joined by specialist fire officers to begin investigating the cause of the fire, as well as assessing the extent of the structural damage to the building", they said. The Victorian building was originally built as Medlock cotton mill in around 1801 and is considered Manchester's oldest mill. It was later repurposed as a printing works by the Percy Brothers in the late 1800s, producing comics and journals, but it failed to be redeveloped and modernised like its counterparts. In recent years it had fallen into an uninhabited derelict state. In May 2024, Manner, the company who have owned the building since 2020, had a planning application, to turn the The Hotspur Press into a 37-storey block of student flats, unanimously approved by Manchester City Council. The plans were delayed due to changes in the design, but the company announced in May 2025 that it was planning to submit fresh proposals. Manner, who had vowed to "preserve the iconic Percy Brothers signage" and "restore much of the existing brick exterior," has been approached by ITV News for comment. A full investigation is underway to establish the cause of the fire. From the North answers the questions that matter to our region.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Hotspur Press building left a smoking ruin after major Manchester fire
A building on the site of what was believed to be Manchester's oldest mill is now a smouldering ruin after a major Hotspur Press building on Cambridge Street, close to Manchester Oxford Road railway station, was destroyed by a fire on Monday, leading to its partial collapse. The Victorian structure had fallen into a dilapidated state since the printing press closed down in 1996, and stood in contrast with some of the modern city blocks surrounding it. However, despite a number of delays, it had been earmarked for a major development scheme. Opened in the 1800s on the banks of the River Medlock, the building started life as a cotton mill, known as Medlock Mill. It was later repurposed as a printing press in 1902, and remained in business for 94 years. After years of failed attempts to redevelop the site, London-based developer Manner took on the building in 2020, and began working on new plans. Last May, the firm was given planning permission from Manchester City Council to turn the building into a 37 storey, 595 bed block of student flats. But the scheme was delayed after Manner twice changed its designs, and earlier this month said it was planning to submit fresh proposals to the council. The firm had vowed to "draw on the historical roots of the site" for the project, which would have involved some of the original building being demolished. While the original application for planning permission was granted, it attracted opposition from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) over the lack of affordable units. MMU had told councillors it had concerns that less than 20% of units would have been available at a discounted rent and also "the predominance of studio units which are less affordable than cluster units". But in a report to the planning committee, council officials also wrote it was estimated the development would add £3.6m to the local economy. The report, in May 2024, added: "This proposal would redevelop a derelict and vacant, low quality brownfield site close to the Oxford Road Corridor." The proposed student tower was initially intended to be clad in redbrick panels, but that was changed earlier this year to be anodised metal, appearing to be had since revised its plans for the building to include a bronze finish on the firm denied the change was related to its profit margins, with Manner boss Richard James telling the BBC in June that the firm "wanted to listen and take on board feedback".Manner has confirmed it is aware of the fire but has yet to comment further. GMFRS said on Monday evening it had deployed 20 fire engines to the fire, including two aerial units. It said the fire spread to a neighbouring apartment building,1 Cambridge Street, which was evacuated. An investigation into the cause of the fire was expected to begin on Tuesday. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"Bad for all Americans": Former National Guard vice chief calls LA deployment "inappropriate"
A former vice chief of the National Guard called Donald Trump's deployment of guard forces to Los Angeles "bad for all Americans." 'The president's federal deployment of the National Guard over the official wishes of a governor is bad for all Americans concerned about freedom of speech and states' rights," retired Major General Randy Manner said in a statement to Fox News on Sunday. "The governor has the authority and ability to respond to the civil disturbances with law enforcement capabilities within his state, augmented as necessary by requesting law enforcement assistance from other governors," Manner said. "There are over a million badged and trained members of law enforcement in this country for the governor to ask for help if he needs it. While this is presently a legal order, it tramples the governor's rights and obligations to protect his people. This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.' Amid the protests of ICE raids in Los Angeles, Trump federalized the California National Guard on June 7. Since then, 2,000 members of the guard have been called into service, answering to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — and over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has announced legal action in opposition to the deployment. Trump declared an "invasion" of Los Angeles on Sunday in a bid to legitimize his take over of the guard. Manner, a critic of Trump, spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee last December, highlighting the harm of using military personnel in deportations. "The armed forces exist to defend the country," Manner said to the committee, "not to police its citizens or to enforce controversial and politically-charged immigration policies."
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Regeneration of derelict Victorian mill in Manchester delayed again
The regeneration of a Victorian city centre mill has been Press, also known as Medlock Mill, in Manchester has been derelict since shutting down as a printing press in plans to convert it into a 171-home, 28-storey apartment block fell through in 2020, with a new developer, Manner, taking the historic structure firm's plan to build a 36-storey student tower was given planning permission in May 2024, but it has changed the design twice since then and has had to resubmit its proposals to planners. The new student tower was initially clad in redbrick panels, but this was changed earlier this year to be anodised metal, appearing to be grey-silver. Manner has now revised its plans for the building to include a bronze finish on the exterior. The firm has repeatedly denied the change was made to make more Local Democracy Reporting Service understands the new metal finish will cost more than the brick cladding, but it is not known if this is due to inflation from last year to boss Richard James said: "Through the consultation process we wanted to listen and take on board feedback to ensure we bring forward a proposal for The Hotspur Press that local people and the city can enjoy for years to come."The redesigned proposals will now be submitted to Manchester City Council. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
