Campaigner lobbies for new fire station CPO
A MANCHESTER psychotherapist is behind a campaign lobbying Manchester City Council to launch a second compulsory purchase order for the London Road Fire Station.
Adam Prince, who walks past the building every day, said he was motivated by its sorry state.
He has set up an online petition, which has attracted nearly 1,000 signatures, and has already arranged a meeting with new Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell.
The building is owned by Hale-based Britannia Hotels, led by Alex Langsam, which has failed to progress several schemes over the past 25 years.
He said: “I looked for a petition online and there wasn’t a single mention of one so I thought ‘I’m going to start one and see what happens’.
“The support has been pretty big but I’m not an expert in planning or acrchitecture, or anything like that.”
The council launched a compulsory purchase order for the site which was rejected at public enquiry last November. At the time Britannia promised to start work on a 227-bed hotel within three months of the inquiry but has since said this would “not be sustainable either in the current climate or in the foreseeable future”. Earlier this month confirmed the council confirmed it was preparing a fresh bid.
Mr Prince believes Britannia’s failure to act has undermined the inquiry decision, justifying a new CPO. “This once majestic building should be a visionary, rather than shameful, gateway to Manchester and its architectural history,” he says on the petition.
