Neville vows to respect and save jobs at historic pub

ENGLAND football star turned property developer Gary Neville has pledged to respect the history of the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub in the Manchester city centre although it will still be demolished to make for a £200m development – to be known as St Michael’s.

As images of the new scheme went on show for the first time at Manchester Town Hall, Neville promised the jobs of the landlord and his nine staff would be protected.

The bar of the historic pub would be housed in a “new destination” on Bootle Street, he said.

Alongside his former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs and businessman Brendan Flood, their company Jackson’s Row Developments is part of the St Michael’s Partnership which will create a 200-bed five-star hotel and 152 apartments.

Half the 1.5-acre site will be dedicated for public space.

The former Bootle Street police station and the Abercromby – dating back to the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 – will be demolished, as will the current Reformed Synagogue which will be replaced with a new building.

Despite Neville’s assurances Government heritage agency Historic England has been reported to have expressed “great concern’ over the plans.

The Daily Telegraph said the organisation was objecting to the demolition of the three unlisted buildings of historical significance.

Included in the scheme between two towers of 31 and 21 storeys nine metres apart are three distinct areas of public space, including St Michael’s Square, The Steps – rising 15 metres – to The Garden which will be covered.

At the unveiling of the first CGI images of the proposed scheme which goes to Manchester City Council’s planners in September, Neville said it had become clear the scheme “required some scale and height”.

He said: “There is no other central location like this, so close to Albert Square and the most wonderful buildings around the conservation, that is available. From our point of view we carry a huge responsibility to deliver something very special on this site.

“We have a site currently that isn’t used and lacks activity that discourages public activity. It is unwelcoming and it’s clear they need some form of regeneration.”

“There is a genuine opportunity to bring activity through the central point through Albert Square, through those streets into St John’s and Spinningfields and really provide something quite special and a new destination for Manchester city centre.

Neville went on: “When you are a developer on a site, there are tensions and challenges. It’s not for us as developers and citizens of Manchester to shy away from those. We’ll hit them head on.

“In respect of the scale and height – obviously we’re in a conservation area and we had a positive discussion and debate with Historic England in the last six months. I thanked them for some of the input they’ve given us because they’ve improved aspects of this project – connecting Jacksons Row to Bootle Street.

“There are challenges with what we’re proposing but we also believe there are significant benefits.

“All existing buildings will be taken down. We know that the police station is not a problem, it has no great architectural significance. With the Reformed Syngogue, we’re developing a new building.

“When it comes down to the Abercromby, we understand, particularly myself and Ryan, the community interest there is in the pub. We understand there is a landlord and nine people employed in the pub.

“We are citizens of Manchester. We do not take away people’s employment, it’s as simple as that. We take it extremely seriously.

“We’re going to create 1,300 new jobs on the site, but the 10 jobs that are currently on the site will be protected.

“I’ve had discussions with the landlord. We’ve been in dialogue now for six months. We’re committed to him and his nine staff during the construction period, we’ll work together to create the employment and with him to bring together a new destination on Bootle Street where the current Abercromby pub bar will be accommodated.

“That is an absolute commitment, from myself and from us as a developer to the pub and the people employed in it.

“The critical element of this scheme is the public space. We have enjoyed immensely as people who live in the city, the development at Spinningfields and other such quarters over the last 10 to 15 years, and we understand and accept that Manchester needs more of this type of destination.

“It was one of the primary objectives of all the design process that we’ve got to leave as much of this site as possible available for public use and activity and to create a destination that people of Manchester can come and enjoy.”

The St Michael’s Partnership is an international consortium comprising Singapore’s Rowsley, Beijing Construction and Engineering Group International, Zerum Consult, which is development manager and planning consultant.

The partnership is aiming to start delivering the project by Spring 2017.