Restaurant plans for Plymouth Grove pub
SOUTH Manchester landmark, the derelict Plymouth Grove pub, could re-open as a Chinese restaurant if planning is approved later this month.
The Grade II-listed site, which has an ornate clock tower, is close to the former home of Victorian novelist Elizabeth Gaskell on Plymouth Grove, Ardwick.
It has been empty for nearly 10 years and has serious interior damage caused by damp and a cannabis farm.
It was bought in May by Manchester developer Zhan Peng Zhou who has submitted plans to turn it into a restaurant with three apartments.
A planning document filed with Manchester City Council said: “The intensive [cannabis] production created a damp environment which has had a devastating impact on the buildings interior.
“All ceilings and decorative plasterwork have degenerated to the point where most ceiling have collapsed or were unable to be saved.
“The building has also been stripped of any decorative features. There are no original fireplaces surrounds left, with the only presumed original feature remaining being the staircase, which too is badly damaged.”
Nonetheless, Manchester architect Hattrel DS One plans a sympathetic conversion. Emma Craig said: “We’re trying to reinstate it to its former glory. We’re trying to treat it sensitively.”
