SAVE Britain’s Heritage, The Georgian Group and the Council for British Archaeology join forces to call for a review of the government’s controversial decision not to list one of Manchester’s earliest surviving cotton mills
Leading national heritage organisations have today announced their decision to challenge the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport’s decision not to list Medlock Mill, an important industrial building in Manchester.
In what they are saying is a highly unusual move, Lisa Nandy rejected the advice of Historic England, the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment, and refused the listing of Medlock Mill in January 2025.
SAVE, a national heritage campaigning charity, and The Georgian Group, the government’s statutory adviser on buildings 1700-1840, along with other national heritage groups including the Council for British Archaeology and The Victorian Society strongly supported listing the building in recognition of its exceptional significance as an early Manchester spinning mill which, as stated by Historic England, is “potentially the oldest standing textile mill in Manchester”.
The Secretary of State’s decision not to list the approval at Manchester’s planning committee in May 2024 of controversial plans to substantially demolish the historic mill and build a highly invasive 37-storey student accommodation block at its centre.
Under the submitted plans, the mill’s interiors would be lost, jeopardising important evidence of early power transmission technology which Historic England sought to list. Only three of the original facades would be partially retained.
Buildings are listed for their architectural or historic interest according to legislation designed to protect and celebrate the historic environment. The Secretary of State’s decision on Medlock Mill, also known as Hotspur Press, was predicated on uncertainty about the age of the building’s first phase of development (which dates to either 1794 or 1801).
However, Historic England strongly recommended listing regardless of this uncertainty as either the “oldest or second oldest” cotton mill in Manchester, identifying it as a “significant survival of the city’s early textile industry.”
In Manchester, the growth of the cotton trade drove the city’s expansion, leading it to become the world’s first industrial city and by extension powering the UK’s Industrial Revolution. Medlock Mill has an important part to play in illustrating the rapid and significant developments of this time.
Adding Medlock Mill to the National List would not put a stop to new development. Instead, listing would make sure that changes to this remarkable building are sympathetic and sensitive to what makes it special, allowing it to continue to contribute to the growth of the city.
The review process can overturn a listing decision if there is evidence to indicate the decision-making process was faulty.
Henrietta Billings, Director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, said: “It is highly unusual for the Secretary of State to go against the clear advice of their own heritage advisors and to refuse listing of what is unquestionably a hugely important mill for Manchester and its history. Regardless of whether it dates back to 1794 or 1801 – it is one of the city’s earliest surviving cotton mills and a rare physical link to the people who helped build the wealth of this city. We believe the decision-making process in this instance needs a rigorous review.”
Dr Anya Lucas, Director Designate of The Georgian Group, said: “The absence of any compelling reason not to list this important industrial building – combined with overwhelming evidence in support of designation and a detailed and authoritative recommendation to list from the government’s own statutory adviser on the historic environment constitutes clear grounds for a formal review. To refuse to explain or justify this anomalous decision risks undermining sector and public confidence in the listing process. We urge the Secretary of State to rethink.”
Catherine Bell, Listed Buildings Casework and Advocacy Manager for the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) said, “Listing Medlock Mill is not an obstacle to adaptively reusing it for housing. Listing is a management tool that ensures changes to Medlock Mill are achieved in a way that aligns with and best reveals its historical importance as an important piece of Manchester’s story. Listed industrial buildings are centrepieces of heritage-led regeneration schemes across the country.”
