Council loses patience with ‘reckless’ Britannia
MANCHESTER City Council intends to push ahead with the compulsory purchase of the derelict London Road Fire Station after running out of patience with its owner, Britannia Hotels.
The council lost an earlier attempt to take control of the building – which has lain empty since 1986 – through a compulsory purchase order (CPO) when it was rejected by a government inspector in 2011.
But in September it raised the prospect of another CPO, although it gave Hale-based Britannia six weeks to agree to a legally binding agreement to implement an existing planning consent for a 227-bed hotel.
The council said yesterday it had not received a satisfactory response and will seek backing for a CPO at an executive meeting on December 22. However, it will remain open to working with Britannia if it brings forward its proposed scheme.
A report prepared ahead of next week’s meeting said: “Council officers have legitimate, deep seated concerns as to BCL’s [Britannia Centres Limited) ability and, indeed, willingness to progress the redevelopment of the former London Road Fire Station.”
Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: “We would still welcome a positive response from Britannia to our request for an implementation agreement as set out in our letter in October – but currently we are fighting for the future of this building and the significant contribution bringing it back in to use will give to the regeneration of Piccadilly.
“The building’s owners have shown a reckless abandon in their management of what is an incredibly important, landmark property. Despite consistent public promises to develop the building, they have failed to make any tangible progress – and have therefore failed as guardians of this fine heritage building.”
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.
A campaign group, the Friends of London Road Fire Station, welcomed the move but urged the council to involve the wider public in future designs if the CPO is successful.
Founder and secretary Adam Prince said: “The imposition Britannia has put upon this icon has been destructive and insidious. It is more than time for them to leave without any fuss, to not drag this out any longer by appealing the CPO. The Fire Station deserves a revival that meets inspirational community, public access and business needs.
“It is time for Manchester City Council to engage with a talented pool of supportive citizens and allow them to be involved in the visions, needs and ambitions for LRFS. In this case it is essential for the planning process to not to be one of council planners’ isolationism. This case must be won at last and an icon’s revival celebrated away from its destructive captors.”
After the failure of the first CPO the council was left with a £700,000 legal bill and Britannia’s costs of £750,000.
