Iconic TV studios to be given new lease of life

The former Granada Television Studios in the Castlefield area of Manchester are to be given a new lease of life.

The studios are being redeveloped and will be turned into a new creative, digital and cultural hub.

Developer Allied London’s has had a revised application approved to retain and refurbish the original television studios.

The application was approved late last week by Manchester City Council.

The former TV studios will be retained and refurbished to provide a unique suite of multi-functional filming, production and studio facilities.

All Studios, Allied London’s studios business, will operate the space and has already signed up Peaky Blinders, Safe, Wanderlust and Snatch to film at the studios.

Workspaces will also be developed to foster the growth of start-ups and the new spaces will be linked by an arcade known as the M1 corridor.

Allied London’s chief executive Michael Ingall said: “This is a second consent for the building and is important as it will enable us to now realise our more defined and focussed plans to revive theformer home of ITV and transform the iconic studios in to a new creative, digital and cultural hub.

“We are now going to greatly expand the TV/Film studios activity to create something that will have national prominence through our All Studios platform.

“Our ABC and Bonded Warehouse projects, due for completion this year, will form a big part of this cluster and both encourage use and promotion of the studios and are already attracting big names in the media industry.

“Our vision with St. John’s and the unique inventory at Enterprise City is to build a sustainable new creative, tech and digital cluster for Manchester.

“Development on the first phases of Enterprise City in St. John’s has begun with ABC and Bonded Warehouse, and OGS will follow this summer.

“With our inventory plus the surrounding Factory arts centre, All Studios, adjoining plans for MSI, and links to Piccadilly through the Fire Station, St Johns is without doubt going to be a special place and our most diverse and successful development to date.”

A new nine-storey building will replace the old annex building and will include shops, workspace and flats.

Allied London breathed new life into to the Old Granada Studios when it acquired the site in 2013, creating co-working spaces, and populating the vacant workspace, F&B and studios with new tenants, many of whom will relocate to the Bonded Warehouse, also part of St. John’s, Enterprise City.

Construction on the project is due to start next month.