Council plots second CPO for London Road fire station

MANCHESTER City Council is preparing to launch a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the semi-derelict London Road fire station – three years after an earlier bid failed.

The council’s executive will meet on Wednesday to decide whether to pursue a CPO if the building’s owner, the hotel group Britannia, does not agree to implement an existing planning consent for a 227-bed hotel.

In 2011 the council lost an attempt to CPO the site, considered a key “gateway” location, and was faced with £700,000 legal fees and Britannia’s costs of £750,000 after a public inquiry.

A second attempt could be costly with the council admitting the building needs £6m-£9m of repairs, according to a report by GVA, on top of the purchase costs. It admits the repair bill is the “single biggest risk” because no structural survey has been carried out.

The council would hope to recoup some of the expenditure by selling on the site to another developer but it thinks it is worth the risk because the fire station is an “essential component” of the wider Piccadilly area which is expected to drive the future growth of the city.

Hale-based Britannia, which is controlled by Alex Langsam, has owned the building since 1986 and has had several plans approved, most recently last December which was a renewal of a permission granted in 2010.

In an agenda document prepared for Wednesday’s meeting the council said: “Significant correspondence has been exchanged and meeting suggestions made about possible new schemes being brought forward, but no substantive action in taking re-development forward has been forthcoming.

“The lack of genuine intention to develop the building is further underlined by the most recent engagement, which suggests a new scheme can be expected to be brought forward which is not regarded by BCL [BritanniaCentres Ltd] to be viable.”

The council said it had offered to buy the building and fund a competition amongst hotel operators and developers, but Britannia had not taken the opportunity.

“Further, there has been no progress made by BCL in undertaking the detailed structural survey of the building which would be a pre- requisite to the definition of a robust commercial and planning profile for a successful development.”

It added: “In the view of officers the council will need to acquire the building to deliver re- development unless BCL enters into a legally binding and enforceable implementation agreement to deliver the current permission, as may be modified with the agreement of the council.”

Two years ago psychotherapist Adam Prince started a campaign group to lobby for a second CPO arguing that Britannia’s failure to act had undermined the inquiry decision. Last night he tweeted: “Yes! Yes! Yes! A second CPO for LRFS [London Road fire station] Manchester being discussed! Delighted!”

Emma Curtin, chair of the Friends of London Road Fire Station, said: “A very exciting development. Well done Manchester City Council for having the courage to consider a second CPO. This won’t be an easy decision after the failure of the last one, but as we have demonstrated, there is huge public support for this fantastic building being brought back into use.
 
“This is a great opportunity for the council to really engage with the public. Thanks to everyone who has helped us to keep the Fire Station on the agenda over the last two years. A new CPO cannot be allowed to fail so we will scrutinise the council’s strategy and continue our work to see this site thriving again.”

A spokesman for Britannia could not be reached at the time of publication.

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