Historic England are objecting to plans going before Manchester Council tomorrow which would see the part demolition of historic Grade II listed buildings in the city Centre
Plans to develop a site off Bridge Street have been recommended for approval, despite the clear damage they would cause to a small group of historic Grade II listed buildings at the site. One of these buildings would be demolished to make way for a 14-storey tower.
In their objection Historic England say that the application proposes the demolition of the most architecturally prominent element of the site, the former showroom.
This loss would considerably diminish the ability to read the complex as a whole, and therefore greatly harm its historic significance. It would also not only result in the loss of a building that contributes positively to the appearance of the conservation area, but would also diminish the contribution that the site makes to understanding its character and history.
The site includes a manufacturing block of 1840 and a showroom of 1849
(heavily altered in 1926). It also includes a commercial warehouse of 1855, which
functioned separately, but was historically in the same ownership as the carriage
works.
The buildings they say, provide an important understanding of the evolution of
small-scale industries across Manchester. These industries would have historically
been prevalent across the city, and are vital not only in defining its historic character,
but also for understanding the evolution of the city in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
A Historic England spokesperson said:
“We are very concerned about the plans to demolish 31-33, King Street West, which would deprive Manchester of an attractive building evocative of the city’s 19th century history. The small group of protected historic buildings on this site were once a carriage works, built and added to at various points throughout the 1800s. They give us a window into how smaller-scale industries worked in Manchester, and shaped the city’s architecture. These sites are also rare, with only five listed carriage works surviving across England.
We have objected to the proposal to demolish one of these buildings – the historic showroom – and replace it with a much taller, visually dominating tower of 14 storeys, because of its impact on the carriage works as well as the wider Parsonage Gardens Conservation Area. The proposed replacement tower would dwarf the smaller scale, Victorian buildings on this site which are such an important part of Manchester’s character and feel. The city deserves better than these misguided proposals.”
