It was once one of the most splendid shops in Manchester but now the future of this Newton Heath building is over after it has been condemned as dangerous by the Council after years of neglect.
In a statement, Manchester Council said Oldham Road will have to be closed overnight from 7pm to 6am on Friday and Saturday to accommodate the demolition.
The former building which housed the Co-op which when opened in the 1890’s was one of the first stores in Manchester to be lit by electricity
The store has been empty since the late 1960’s, its ground floor occupied by various shops until plans were revealed to turn it into luxury flats.
Work began just over three years ago which included the roof being removed but since then it had been open to the elements and Manchester Council has been in a battle with the developers who wanted to level it, to retain at least something of its splendour.
Planning permission was granted in April 2008 for the erection of a part ten, part six and part five storey building behind retained facade to form 114 one, two and three bedroom flats, and 568 square metres of floorspace at ground floor level with associated parking and landscaping.
Development commenced on site and planning permission for the development had been kept live but following demolition works, the condition of the building has deteriorated and had attracted some anti-social behaviour.
The developer pursued a notification to demolish the remainder of the building in 2019 which was accepted subject to conditions.
However, more recently the developer informed council officers that, rather than demolish the building, they wish to retain the structure and would begin to strengthen the parts of the building they wished to retain.
Given that there has been no evidence of either demolition or strengthening works at the site to date. The City Council is therefore now pursuing the demolition of the building
